Seven former officers have been jailed over the deaths of gay couple Eldin Choc and Milton Santamaria, a case that has drawn renewed attention to anti-LGBTQ+ violence in Guatemala.
According to tvcnews.tv, the killings of a gay couple in Guatemala have resulted in lengthy prison sentences for seven former police officers, marking a major development in a case that raised serious questions about prejudice, police misconduct, and attempts to conceal what happened.
Gay couple Eldin Choc, 28, and Milton Santamaria, 45, died in April 2024 after an encounter with police in San Andrés Itzapa. Choc was Guatemalan, while Santamaria was Salvadoran-Canadian. Reports say the men had been taken into custody after an altercation at a shop.
During the proceedings, prosecutor Marco Escobar told AFP that officers had beaten and tortured the couple at a police station while directing homophobic remarks at them.
What followed added another troubling layer to the case. Authorities initially attributed the gay couple’s deaths to a traffic accident. Santamaria was transported to a hospital, while Choc’s remains were found several days later in a ravine. His hand had been mutilated.
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Seven Officers, Different Sentences
The court handed down sentences ranging from eight to 60 years. Former police chief Edy Vasquez and another former officer each received 60 years, while a third officer was sentenced to 30 years for extrajudicial execution.
Two former female officers were given 11 years each for discrimination and dereliction of duty. The final two defendants received sentences of eight and 10 years for offenses that included unlawful detention, abuse of authority, obstruction of justice, and dereliction of duty.
The case also implicated two firefighters, who had previously been sentenced to one and three years in prison. They reportedly confessed to helping conceal Santamaria’s condition after saying they had been pressured by police to claim he was still alive when they brought him to the hospital.
Justice, but a Wider Problem Remains
For Choc’s family, the ruling offered some measure of relief. His brother, Henry Choc, told reporters he was “satisfied” with the result and believed justice had been served.
Abraham Abrego, legal director of Cristosal and a plaintiff in the case, told AFP that ensuring the crime did not go unpunished was important. He also described it as an act motivated by prejudice.
Amnesty International and other rights organizations have pointed to the case as part of a broader pattern of violence against LGBTQ+ people. Outside the courthouse, activists carried banners bearing the message “Homophobia kills.”
The Lambda Association, a Guatemalan human rights organization, reported approximately 30 violent deaths of LGBTQ+ people in Guatemala last year. The country also lacks a specific legal definition of hate crime.
The verdict delivers accountability in the deaths of gay couple Choc and Santamaria. For LGBTQ+ advocates, however, the case also underscores the need to confront the discrimination and violence that continue to put lives at risk.