Trans Peruvian Activist Died In Bali Police Custody
The statement from Ventosilla’s family “raises very serious questions that deserve clear and accurate answers,” Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf said. “Harvard Kennedy School supports the family’s call for an immediate and thorough investigation and for public release of all relevant information, and the School stands with all of Rodrigo’s friends and colleagues and with the LGBTQ+ community.”
Ventosilla’s family has asked the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to push for an investigation into Indonesian authorities’ conduct. But in a statement issued this week, the ministry appeared to side with Indonesian officials’ account of the events.
In a news release on Aug. 22, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied that Indonesian authorities’ actions amounted to discrimination and anti-trans violence. The ministry said that the arrest happened because customs officers found pills with a medical prescription and “objects that contained traces of cannabis, as well as various products made with said substance.”
“As is public knowledge, Indonesia maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding the possession of drugs and their derivative products, for which one of the detained nationals would have committed a serious crime under the strict laws of that country,” the ministry said.
It also said that the Peruvian Consulate was in touch with local authorities throughout to ensure that they worked within local law and respected Ventosilla and Marallano’s rights.
Gianna Camacho, a spokesperson for Ventosilla’s family, told BuzzFeed News that they reject the ministry’s statement, calling it an “offense against the families” and “biased” against Sebastian and the