Daniel Zamudio Vera

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Protesters commemorate Zamudio on the Bologna pride 2012

Daniel Mauricio Zamudio Vera (born August 3, 1987 in Santiago de Chile , Chile , † March 27, 2012 in Santiago de Chile) was a Chilean salesman and murder victim. The openly homosexual young man was murdered by four neo-Nazis because of his sexual orientation. His death caused great horror throughout Latin America and led to the enactment of an anti-discrimination law in Chile.

Life

Zamudio Vera was born the second of four children to Ivan Zamudio and Jacqueline Vera. His hometown of San Bernardo , where he grew up and lived, is only a few kilometers from the capital Santiago de Chile. At the age of thirteen the parents realized that their child was homosexual, but the official coming out took place at the age of 17. His relationship with the family was basically good, but the father did not accept the son's homosexuality for a long time, whereas the mother was understanding and accepted him for who he was. In 2003, the parents divorced and Daniel moved in with his mother and grandmother. At the age of 17, he fell into a great depression because his best friend had committed suicide. He never fully recovered from this adolescent depression. He later dropped out of school. He started out as a salesman in a Chinese clothing store. He worked there until his death.

He wanted to save money in order to be able to fulfill his dream: studying theater studies and working as a model in a job. He regularly went to gay clubs and bars in the capital and told friends that he had been hit on when leaving the establishment. He loved sweet baked goods, Chinese food, and is described as a normal young man.

Sequence of events

On February 2, 2012, Zamudio Vera left for work in Santiago at 7:30 a.m. He told his family that he wanted to go to a friend's house after work and that he would come home very late. When his son was not home the next day, father Ivan went to the police and reported him missing.

Around 4:00 a.m., a police officer found the young man's seriously injured body in Parque de San Borja . He came to the Posta Central Hospital in Santiago de Chile . Daniel had no more paper with him. The parents found him in the hospital because they had called all the hospitals.

As far as the course of events could be reconstructed, Daniel was out in the park at night when he met the group of four neo-Nazis aged 19 to 26 years. They first pushed him and then tortured him for about six hours. The young man was kicked in the head and face, a hole was made in one ear with a broken bottle, swastikas were scratched on various parts of the body and cigarettes were stubbed out, both legs were broken and swastikas were scratched in the anal area.

He was hospitalized seriously injured and given intensive care. For a short time, on March 19, 2012, it looked as if an improvement in his condition could be assumed, which subsequently deteriorated again. Daniel passed away on March 27, 2012 at 7:45 p.m.

Expression of sympathy in front of the hospital

For several days people had waited in front of the clinic, prayed for him and held the nights through Vigil . The perpetrators were arrested and brought to justice. The main culprit was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in October 2013 , two accomplices of 15 years each and one of seven years.

burial

The body of the murder victim, now known all over Latin America, was cremated and the funeral procession comprised several thousand people, including many citizens of the capital and citizens from all parts of Chile who had come to Santiago for reasons of solidarity. When the car with the urn drove through the crowd, applause broke out, and multiple weeping could be observed. White flowers were waved as a symbol of peace and innocence. Daniel Zamudio Vera was buried in the central cemetery in Santiago de Chile. In the city center several bands played music in his honor and a theater group played a play that roughly portrayed Daniel's life.

Reactions

Daniel's brother, Diego, thanked the public for the overwhelming sympathy. Various celebrities also commented on the case. President Sebastián Piñera was shocked, condoled the family and announced a tough fight for the rights of same-sex people in Chile. The Vice-President of Chile, Rodrigo Hinzpeter, as well as the Minister of Health Jaime Miñalich , the chairman of the Central Council of the Jews of Chile and the chairman of the country's leading gay and lesbian organization, Rolando Jimenez, also spoke. And from show business, it was above all the TV presenter Rafael Araneda , who is known throughout Chile, and the world-famous Latino singer Ricky Martin , who said that he dedicated his GLAAD award, which he had received, to Daniel Zamudio Vera. In Chile's media it was discussed whether the planned equality law should get Daniel's name in order to give him an honorable souvenir for all time. The Archbishop of Santiago de Chile and chairman of the Chilean Bishops' Conference, Ricardo Ezzati Andrello , also expressed his horror at the case. On March 28, 2012, he published the declaration " For a humane and non-violent coexistence ", in which he sharply condemned the act and spoke of a denial of human dignity. He hoped that the perpetrators would be punished and expressed condolences to the family. British homosexual pop singer Boy George also expressed his horror and disgust at the crime. He was the first non-Latin American personality to comment on the case.

The homosexual associations of Chile have been fighting for the law for seven years, but it has not yet been passed. Conservative circles fear that this will also open a back door for gay marriage in Chile. In general, Chile is considered a tolerant and liberal country towards homosexuality. It was Jimenez who described Zamudio Vera as a martyr for the homosexual cause.

In 2012, the year of his death, a four-part television series called "Zamudio-Perdidos de la noche" was filmed and broadcast in Chile. She tells the young man's life to a wide audience.

Establishment of a foundation

Memorial to the murdered Daniel Zamudio Vera (1987–2012)

In 2013, Daniel's family members and friends set up a foundation called Fundacion Daniel Zamudio , based in his hometown of San Bernardo , as an advisory and support body to advise parents whose children are homosexual themselves to use all young homosexuals and regularly on anniversaries to remember the fate of Daniel and other homosexuals. This facility is unique in this form in Latin America.

See also

Web links

Commons : Daniel Zamudio  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Daniel Zamudio: The homophobic murder that changed Chile . bbc.com, article from October 29, 2013
  2. ↑ Life sentence over gay man's murder that led to Chilean anti-discrimination law independent.co.uk , accessed June 30, 2019
Note: This is a Spanish name . Zamudio Vera is thus the family name. Daniel Zamudio is a common abbreviated form .
personal data
SURNAME Zamudio Vera, Daniel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Zamudio Vera, Daniel Mauricio (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Chilean seller and murder victim
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd August 1987
PLACE OF BIRTH Santiago de Chile , Chile
DATE OF DEATH March 27, 2012
Place of death Santiago de Chile , Chile