What happened at Mexico City’s prosecutor’s office? Kenya Cuevas protests treatment in Paola Buenrostro case

A hearing in the Paola Buenrostro murder case triggered protests at Mexico City’s prosecutor’s office after activist Kenya Cuevas accused judicial staff of discriminating against her and revictimizing her.

Cuevas said officials used her former legal name during the proceeding and referred to her with masculine terms. She also said they made stigmatizing references to sex work. Casa de las Muñecas Tiresias A.C. circulated footage recorded near the building known as “El Búnker,” presenting details of the alleged treatment by prosecutors assigned to the Mexico City office.

Cuevas argued that the conduct occurred despite her having updated identity documents since 2016. She has also taken part in developing intersectional guidelines for justice institutions. Members of the trans community disrupted activities at the office and called for the dismissal of officials involved.

The protesters demanded that the accusation be handled as transfemicide rather than only aggravated homicide. They also called for the removal of Brenda Celina Bazán Varela, head of the office investigating femicide, and demanded direct talks with Mexico City Attorney General Bertha María Alcalde Luján and city government officials.

The case stems from the 2016 killing of Paola Buenrostro. Mexico City’s Human Rights Commission formally classified it as transfemicide in Recommendation 02/2019. The legal case faced nearly a decade of delays after a judge issued an arrest warrant on Oct. 19, 2016. Authorities offered a reward in April 2023 before the suspect, who had remained at large for almost 10 years, was recently detained in Nicolás Romero, in the State of Mexico.