Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant....

(from a statement to the members of the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS)



I am very sad to bring you the terrible news that our dear friend and colleague, Walter Trochez, was assassinated on Sunday, December 13, 2009, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where he lived.

Speaking on behalf of the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, we denounce this egregious violation of human rights and political freedoms, and would like to express our sincere condolences for Walter's family, friends and colleagues. Walter was a fearless advocate of human rights, especially for people living with HIV and LGBTQ people. The discrimination and violence he experienced as a gay young person, living with HIV and fighting for political freedom, did not dull his passion or diminish his remarkable confidence as an activist.

At 25 years old, Walter's many accomplishments are a testimony to the depth of his commitment to his ideals. He was the General Coordinator for the Sexual Diversity Advocacy Group, and the Co-Founder of the Committee of Auditors, which responds to violations of human rights against people living with HIV and others. Please read more about Walter here:
http://profiles.tigweb.org/trochez

Walter's struggles and joys brought home not only the dark reality of the inequities we work to rectify, but also the magnificent potential for courage and compassion in the face of enormous opposition. The lasting impact of his tireless activism as an activist living with HIV for 12 years is evidenced in the outpouring of support he has received from many communities, ranging from the HIV community to many other progressive groups.


Speaking for myself, I think that it is important that the truth behind what happened is acknowledged, articulated to the world, and addressed. At the same time I worry that publicizing the abuses occurring in Honduras right now may put his family, friends and colleagues at further risk. However, I believe that Walter would have wanted me to speak out, and that my silence would enable the complacency that perpetuates such abuses to occur all over the world with impunity.

Walter was killed due to his vocal opposition to the situation in Honduras, where the democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya was deposed in a military coup this past June 2009 by Roberto Micheletti. Walter was arrested and beaten last week, and yet still continued to publicly protest the demise of democracy in his country, where civil rights continue to be suspended.

Whatever his politics and whether one agrees with them or not, Walter's assassination was an attack on fundamental human, civil and political rights.

I met Walter personally when he came to the Mexico International AIDS Conference as an "Agente de Cambio," a project that GYCA did with MTV Latin America to bring talented youth activists from all over Latin America to Mexico and train them to be effective agents of change at the conference and beyond.

Walter's energy, compassion, humor and power as a leader touched many during our time in Mexico and over the three years of his contributions to GYCA and the movement. Attached is a photo of Walter at a flash rally we organized in response to an anti-condom demonstration in Mexico City. I wanted to share it with you because it is so characteristic of him-- a charismatic leader whose extraordinary journey in the face of such challenges was cut short so unjustly.

Many of our members from Latin America have spoken richly about Walter and the experiences they shared with him, and I only wish that their words could be shared with everyone. I have informally and loosely translated below what some of his friends and colleagues have been saying to overcome the language barrier.

I pray for the safety of his family and colleagues, and that the perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions.





---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: jean pierre mendoza arteaga
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:05:02 -0500
Subject: [coalicion] FW: {Amig@s de Los N ecios} Nota de Duelo por el asesinato de l compañero Walter Trochez



Note of Mourning
For the family and companions of our colleague Walter Tróchez
Organización Política Los Necios (OPLN)
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
14 December, 2009.


Today we confront a most difficult part of our struggle. Brutal repression has claimed another victim, and it is very difficult to speak of a companion who is no longer amongst us in the streets. Even so, we must honor those who have earned it, and Necios/as (stubborn pests), we want to give the highest of honors to our colleague, friend and comrade Walter Tróchez.

We knew Walter as a fighter, and we rapidly saw in him an indisputable leader and defender of human rights. As a member of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans community, he became a representative of the struggle of Honduran youth that has grown out of the heart of resistance against the coup.

Walter recently felt the fury of irrationality and the stupidity of the reactionary, obsolete power structure that sadly still exists today in Honduras. The repressive forces that serve entrepreneurs but kill Hondurans, kidnapped him and warned him to stay silent, but as we expected/hoped, Walter refused.

It was a relief to know that he had bravely escaped from the jaws of the beast, and it was gratifying to see him again in the streets this past Friday December 11, when the resistance force was felt once again on the streets. Of course our comrade led the advance of the people. On December 13th Walter Tróchez was shot treacherously in a way that only cowards could, and our comrade, as a real hero does, gave his life for the people.

Without a doubt, to write these words is a complicated task and it is not easy to speak of our martyrs without feeling very emotional, but his example is guide, our momentum, and the promise that we will fight to construct the society for which Walter fought with his fists raised until his last breath. As Necios/as, we would like to remember Walter as a friend who was a special guest along with other comrades from the LGBT community at our tenth anniversary celebration.

As an organization have agreed to:

- Attend the funeral of our comrade Walter Trochez

- Deliver this note of mourning to his family and his organization and to make this public knowledge

- Continue the fight undertaken by our LGBT colleagues as national resistance against the coup

- Honor the memory of Walter Trochez as a martyr and prominent comrade in the popular struggle whose work is to build a future of equality for all of us, in which discrimination and abuses do not exist, in which humanity is able to move beyond fear, and where justice and joy are the foremost mandate of the State.

In memory of Walter Tróchez

Sincerely,

Necios y Necias


Jean Pierre Mendoza Arteaga
COORDINADOR DEPARTAMENTAL
RED JLU SANTA CRUZ
CEL. +591-76873023
Tel-Fax. +591-3-3344611
Santa Cruz - Bolivia

Educación para decidir, recursos para accionar y participación para transformar


----------------------

Nota de Duelo

Para la familia, compañeras y compañeros del
Compañero Walter Tróchez
Organización Política Los Necios (OPLN)
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
14 de diciembre, 2009.

Hoy nos compete un aspecto muy difícil de la lucha. La represión bestial ha cobrado una victima más y es muy difícil referirse a un compañero que ya no estará con nosotros en las calles. Aun así, honrar a quien se lo merece es una tarea obligatoria y como miembros de la Organización Política Los Necios (OPLN) deseamos mencionar y dar los máximos honores a nuestro compañero, amigo y camarada Walter Tróchez.

A Walter lo conocimos luchando, rápidamente en él vimos a un líder indiscutible en la defensa de los derechos humanos. Como miembro de la comunidad gay, lésbica, trans y bisexual se convirtió en un referente de esta lucha que la juventud hondureña ha desarrollado decididamente desde el seno de la Resistencia Contra el Golpe de Estado.

Recientemente sintió la amenaza directa de la furia de la irracionalidad, la reacción y la estupidez asentada en la obsoleta estructura de poder que tristemente existe hoy en Honduras. Las fuerzas represivas que sirven a empresarios y matan a hondureños y hondureñas lo secuestraron y le advirtieron que debía callar su voz, Walter como era de esperarse, dijo no.

Fue un alivio saber que había escapado valientemente de las fauces de la bestia, y fue gratificante verlo de nuevo en las calles cuando este pasado viernes 11 de diciembre la fuerza de la resistencia se sintió una vez más en las calles, por supuesto el compañero Tróchez encabezaba el avance del pueblo. A Walter Tróchez le dispararon a traición este pasado 13 de diciembre como hacen los cobardes y el compañero dio su vida por el pueblo como lo hacen los verdaderos héroes.

Sin duda escribir estas palabras es una tarea complicada pues no es fácil hablar de nuestros mártires sin que se tense la más sensible de nuestras fibras ya que su ejemplo es nuestra guía, nuestro impulso y prometemos que al igual que ellas y ellos lucharemos hasta construir la sociedad por la que mantuvieron sus puños en alto hasta el último aliento. Como Necios y Necias particularmente deseamos referirnos a Walter como un amigo, recordamos contar con su presencia en la celebración de nuestro décimo aniversario en el que él así como otras compañeras y compañeros de la comunidad gay, lésbica, trans y bisexual fueron invitados especiales.

Por lo tanto como Organización acordamos:


Asistir a los actos fúnebres del compañero Walter Tróchez.
Entrega de este acuerdo de duelo en manos de su familia, su organización y hacerlo de conocimiento público.
Mantener la lucha emprendida con los compañeros y compañeras de la comunidad gay, lésbica, trans y bisexual en el marco de la Resistencia Nacional Contra el Golpe de Estado.
Honrar la memoria de Walter Tróchez como un mártir y camarada destacado en la lucha popular cuya tarea es construir un futuro igual para todos y todas, en el que no existan discriminaciones ni abusos hacia nadie, donde la humanidad sea capaz dejar atrás el miedo y en donde la justicia y la alegría sea el primer mandato del Estado.


Por la memoria de Walter Tróchez, Sinceramente

Necios y Necias






Jean Pierre Mendoza Arteaga
COORDINADOR DEPARTAMENTAL
RED JLU SANTA CRUZ
CEL. +591-76873023
Tel-Fax. +591-3-3344611
Santa Cruz - Bolivia

Educación para decidir, recursos para accionar y participación para transformar