Mexico Magistrate Jesus Ociel Baena Found Dead Following Death Threats
The death of Mexico's first openly nonbinary magistrate and LGBTQ rights advocate, Jesus Ociel Baena, has sparked protests and calls for a thorough investigation. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Jesus Ociel Baena, the first openly nonbinary Mexico magistrate, was discovered dead in their Aguascalientes home on Monday, AP reports.

The authorities revealed that Baena had been receiving death threats due to their gender identity.

The Aguascalientes state prosecutor's office confirmed the fatalities, identifying the second deceased person as Baena's partner.

State prosecutor Jesus Figueroa Ortega reported at a press conference that both victims exhibited injuries consistent with a sharp object, possibly a knife.

He later noted that razor blades, presumed to be the cause of the wounds, were found in their hands, per The Guardian.

"There were no prints of a third party inside the home, and the front door was locked," Figueroa stated, emphasizing the absence of third-party involvement.

He added that security cameras revealed no unauthorized entries before or after the victims arrived around 1:00 am.

Bloodstains on the bed and bloody footprints throughout the house were discovered by investigators, heightening the complexity of the case.

Mexico's Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez, during a press briefing, stated that authorities were investigating whether the incident was a homicide or an accident, acknowledging the historical tendency of some murder investigations to be hastily categorized as crimes of passion.

Thousands Attend Slain Mexico Magistrate's Vigil

Thousands gathered for a vigil on Monday evening, passionately demanding justice for Mexico magistrate Jesus Ociel Baena, who was found dead in their Aguascalientes home.

Attendees, shouting "We won't stay silent," lit candles in honor of Baena, whose death has raised concerns about violence against the LGBTQ+ community, according to Al Jazeera.

Alejandro Brito, director of the LGBTQ rights group Letra S, expressed deep concern, fearing that Baena's death might fuel intimidation and violence against the LGBTQ+ community.

"If this was a crime motivated by prejudice, these kinds of crimes always have the intention of sending a message," Brito emphasized.

"The message is an intimidation, it's to say: 'This is what could happen to you if you make your identities public," he added.

The National Observatory of Hate Crimes Against LGBTI+ Persons in Mexico documented 305 violent hate crimes against sexual minorities from 2019 to 2022, encompassing acts such as murder and disappearances.

Mexico Magistrate Jesus Ociel Baena

In October 2022, Jesus Ociel Baena etched their name in history by becoming the first nonbinary person to hold the esteemed position of magistrate for the Aguascalientes state electoral court, PEOPLE noted.

Earlier in the same year, Baena achieved another first, becoming one of the inaugural individuals in the country to be issued a gender-neutral passport, a move indicative of Mexico's evolving recognition of diverse gender identities.

Shortly before their untimely death, Baena Saucedo received further recognition from the electoral court, being acknowledged as "maestre" - a gender-neutral term serving as an alternative to the conventional masculine "magistrado" and feminine "magistrada" in Spanish.

"I am a nonbinary person; I am not interested in being seen as either a woman or a man. This is an identity. It is mine, for me, and nobody else," Jesus Ociel Baena posted on X in June.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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