Honduras reports six daily violent deaths, including trans woman killing in Olanchito

The Observatorio Nacional de la Violencia of UNAH, led by director Migdonia Ayestas, said Honduras is seeing an average of six violent deaths each day, with more than 1,000 victims recorded so far this year. Women are disproportionately affected, with over 140 female victims between January and June, especially in the Central District, Trujillo and San Pedro Sula. Ayestas warned that girls and adolescents are also targeted by gangs that punish those who refuse to become their partners.

In a separate case that drew national attention, the body of Abner Ely Padilla, known as “Salomé,” a transgender woman who worked as a sex worker, was found dead in Olanchito, Yoro. Police have opened an investigation, while LGBTIQ rights groups are demanding urgent action to stop violence against their community. The murder highlights the broader crisis of gender‑based and LGBTQ‑related killings in Honduras, which the Observatorio de Derechos Humanos of the LGBTIQ community says has recorded at least 40 homicides in 2025.