MOE presents report of the Trans Observation Mission in the Congressional elections

For the legislative elections of March 13, the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM), together with the Trans People Support and Action Group Foundation (GAAT) and the Affirmative Caribbean (CA), carried out the first exercise to observe the application of the Protocol to Guarantee and Protect the Right to Vote of Trans Citizens ( CNE Resolution 3480 of 2020) '. This observation, the report details, “is one of the first in Latin America and had a deployment of 40 transgender citizens.”

The document that presents the balance of what happened on that day highlights that, although there was a historical event in the country, some of the shortcomings that made approaching the polls more complicated also stood out. This observation process on compliance with the Protocol was carried out in the departments of Antioquia, Caqueta, Atlántico, Nariño, Arauca, Magdalena, Norte de Santander, Cesar and the Capital District of Bogotá.

Alejandra Barrios, director of the EOM, stressed that “since it was a self-observation exercise, the results indicated that all 40 observers were able to vote, which we believe is, in itself, an achievement, since for some of them it was the first time they exercised their right to vote.” Although it is positive for the EOM that the Registrar's Office has included in its inclusion trainings juries and delegates to understand the Protocol of Trans Voting, it is recognized that this process must be reinforced for future occasions.

This need arises after the observers of the process showed that some members of the electoral authorities did not have complete knowledge of the content of the Protocol and were not clear what to answer when questioned about the training they had previously received. One third of the electoral juries, emphasizes the EOM, indicated that they were not aware of the subject, and just under half of the Registrar's delegates and electoral witnesses claimed that they had the same gap in their knowledge.

More than half of the officials of the courtrooms, responsible for receiving complaints and complaints about the denial of the right to vote by citizens, said that they also had no idea of the 'Protocol to Guarantee and Protect the Right to Vote of Trans Citizens (CNE Resolution 3480 of 2020) '.

With regard to the publication of information pieces of the Protocol in polling stations, it was evident that 66 per cent were absent. The EOM assures that nearly half of trans observers, still wearing EOM representation badges and presenting themselves as electoral observers, faced non-compliance with the Protocol, which, therefore, hindered their right to vote.

Among the breaches were: the lack of location of the ranks of those who wanted to exercise their right to vote; searches carried out irregularly by police officers who are not of the gender indicated by the trans person, disrespecting their gender identity and consent; acts of denial of their identity such as using incorrect pronouns or call them by their 'dead names'; hostile treatment and responses by different authorities when carrying out their work of observation and intrusive glances, aggressive treatment or denial of their identity by voting juries.

“This is just a first step to strengthen their political participation as a population,” said Alelí Chaparro Amaya, a member of the EOM Gender Observatory, for whom, in addition. “It is essential that the electoral and security authorities train their officials in compliance with the Protocol and that processes of continuous awareness of respect for the human rights of trans people be carried out,” he added.

Chaparro Amaya's invitation is addressed to people with experience of trans life to join as observers for the presidential elections. This call will be open until April 18, 2022.

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