An armed attack in the historic center of Mexico City injured street vendor leader, former local representative and trans activist Diana Sánchez Barrios and caused the death of at least one of her companions.
The incident, which occurred in the streets of the center of the metropolis, occurred while Sánchez Barrios was in the area with a group of people.
Preliminary reports indicate that armed individuals opened fire from a moving motorcycle, injuring at least three people on the spot, including Sánchez Barrios, who was shot and taken to the Siglo XXI Hospital, while his companion was was taken to hospital, where he died.
The Mexican capital’s Citizen Security Secretariat deployed an operation in the area to find those responsible, although so far no arrests have been reported.
Diana Sánchez Barrios has been a visible figure defending the rights of informal traders in the capital and has been involved in controversies throughout her career because she was also a trans activist.
Sánchez Barrios was a candidate for local Congress in the last elections as a substitute deputy of the Va por México coalition, formed by the PAN, PRI and PRD parties, which represent the opposition to Morena, of Claudia Sheinbaum and Andrés Manuel López Obrador .
Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, head of the city hall of Cuauhtémoc, the district where the incident occurred, confirmed that Sánchez Barrios was injured and demanded justice for the matter.
The attack occurred at the same time as another homicide recorded in Mexico City, but in the Roma Sur neighborhood, where a woman was killed in her vehicle.
In this case, the Mexico Attorney General’s Office (FGJCDMX) said in a statement that it was already investigating these events and informing the areas responsible for femicide and gender crimes for appropriate follow-up.
“Moreover, the General Coordination for Victim Care has activated a multidisciplinary unit to provide comprehensive support to the indirect victims of this incident,” he concluded.
