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A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 4 OcTOber 2018

Transgender candidates in Brazil push to have voices heard

By PETER PRENGAMAN many transgender people
MARCELO SILVA DE SOUSA face, though she considers
Associated Press herself luckier than most.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bar- Born male into an evangeli-
bara Aires, who was born cal family, at 17 Benevides
male, says she spent much joined the navy and offi-
of her childhood on the cially is still part of the institu-
streets because her father, tion as a sergeant. Howev-
in the military and from the er, inside, Benevides always
conservative state of Minas felt like a woman, and four
Gerais, refused to accept years ago decided to stop
her sexuality. dressing as a man for work.
By her late teenage years, She says the navy then
Aires was taking hormones prohibited her from work-
to transition to a woman ing and put her on leave.
and, because she couldn’t She has since sued and her
find other employment, case is pending.
working as a prostitute Despite widespread dis-
— the fate of many trans- crimination and grim sta-
gender people who are tistics — LGBT groups esti-
shunned by much of Brazil- mate that 35 is the life ex-
ian society. pectancy of transgender
Today, Aires is running to Brazilians — there are signs
be a state representative In this Sept. 20, 2018 photo, Barbara Aires, 35, poses for a photo next to a mural of slain of change.
in Rio de Janeiro, aiming to councilwoman Marielle Franco, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Earlier this year, Brazil’s su-
help transsexuals avoid the Associated Press preme court ruled that
same fate she suffered and that is also one of the most cession in decades and the a gay son — both invokes people could change their
be a voice for other mar- dangerous in the world for political class has largely fear and stands as poten- name and gender on their
ginalized people. transsexuals. Last year, 179 been discredited amid a tial galvanizer to get peo- identity cards by simply ask-
“When all you have are were killed compared to massive corruption scandal ple out to the polls. ing to do so. Previously, any
rich, white men discussing 144 in 2016, according to involving billions of dollars in Bolsonaro “represents a legal change required sex
policies, things will never Brazil’s National Association kickbacks to politicians. step backward and we are reassignment surgery and
improve for the majority of Transvestites and Trans- The presidential poll leader, very worried,” said Bruna court filings.
of people,” said Aires, 35, sexuals. So far this year, 122 far-right congressman Jair Benevides, from the Na- Also this year, drag queen
a freelance television pro- have been killed. Bolsonaro, has a long his- tional Association of Trans- and singer Pabllo Vittar
ducer who is part of the The boom in transgender tory of offensive comments vestites and Transsexuals. headlined the parade of
left-leaning Socialism and candidacies — there were about gays, transsexuals, “But being transgender has one of Rio de Janeiro’s
Liberty Party. only 5 during the last gen- women and minorities. never been easy. We have most storied samba schools
Aires is one of 53 transgen- eral election in 2014, and For transgender candi- always been fighting (for during Carnival. Last year,
der candidates running for none were successful — dates, Bolsonaro’s can- acceptance) and will just Tiffany Abreu, a transgen-
state and federal offices in comes as Latin America’s didacy — the candidate continue to fight.” der athlete, began playing
Brazil, a deeply conserva- largest nation struggles to has said it would be better Benevides’ life encapsu- with a team in the top wom-
tive and religious country emerge from its worst re- to have a dead son than lates the struggles that en’s volleyball league.q

Peru court overturns pardon of ex-leader Fujimori

Pablo Kuczynski pardoned ful. The presiding magis- Some Peruvians laud him
Fujimori on humanitarian trate in the case ordered for defeating the Mao-
grounds last Christmas Eve the 80-year-old Fujimori be ist Shining Path guerrilla
in what was widely seen captured immediately so movement, while others
as an attempt to stave off he can serve out the re- loathe him for human rights
impeachment by courting maining 14 years of a 25- violations carried out under
favor with Fujimori’s allies year sentence for his role his government. A former
in Congress. Kuczynski re- in the killing of several civil- mathematics professor, Fu-
signed five months later. ians, including an 8-year- jimori was a political outsid-
Almost from the outset, old boy, during raids by er when he emerged from
the ruling was slammed an anti-communist army obscurity to win Peru’s 1990
by human rights groups as unit created by his govern- presidential election over
a “pact of impunity” that ment. “Today is one of the writer Mario Vargas Llosa.
was illegal because Fujimo- saddest days in my life,” a Peru was being ravaged

In this March 15, 2018 file photo, Peru’s former President Alberto ri’s crimes are considered weeping Keiko Fujimori, the by runaway inflation and
Fujimori listens to a question during his testimony in a courtroom crimes against humanity, former president’s daugh- guerrilla violence when
at a military base in Callao, Peru. and therefore can’t be par- ter and current leader of he took office. He quickly
Associated Press doned under Peruvian and the conservative Popular rebuilt the economy with
By FRANKLIN BRICENO dent Alberto Fujimori and international law. The Inter- Force party, told a group mass privatizations of state
Associated Press ordered the strongman be American Court on Human of journalists outside her fa- industries. Defeating the
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru’s returned to jail to serve out Rights had also demanded ther’s residence. fanatical Shining Path reb-
Supreme Court on Wednes- a long sentence for human that Peru review its legality. Fujimori, who governed els took longer but his fight
day overturned a medical rights abuses. The high court now ruled from 1990 to 2000, remains won him broad-based sup-
pardon for former Presi- Former President Pedro the pardon was unlaw- a polarizing figure in Peru. port. q