The presidential election runoff period in Romania, which runs until the final round on 18 May, will probably pass off without major disorder
This assessment was issued to clients of Dragonfly’s Security Intelligence & Analysis Service (SIAS) on 30 April 2025.
- Most violence against LGBTQ+ people is likely to affect locals in rural or low-income urban areas, rather than business staff or travellers in major cities
- While some governments and politicians are opposed to LGBTQ+ rights, removing protections does not appear to be a priority for any of them
Instances of verbal harassment are likely to be the main risk for identifiably LGBTQ+ travellers in Latin America in the coming years. A recent murder of a trans woman in Colombia has drawn media and activist attention to violence against LGBTQ+ individuals. There is a high risk of violence for locals, in particular sex workers outside of major cities. But we assess that the risk is low for foreigners. This is because foreigners mainly visit major cities, which we generally assess as safe and secure environments for identifiably LGBTQ+ persons.
Ahead of Pride events in the coming months, we have conducted a comprehensive review of our country- and city-level LGBTQ+ discrimination risk ratings across the Americas. We have raised some countries from low and moderate to high (see map) as part of this. Most of the changes are in Central America. We have not seen signs that LGBTQ+ discrimination risks have significantly worsened in these countries or regionwide. Rather this is to better reflect the current risk environment for LGBTQ+ individuals and LGBTQ+ foreign travellers.
This report is only focused on Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries in the Americas, as well as Belize. This is because there are social and cultural similarities between these countries in the region, and therefore similarities in LGBTQ+ discrimination risks. Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana are more closely aligned socially to countries in the Caribbean, which we plan to address in a separate report.
LGBTQ+ locals frequently targeted regionwide in violent attacks
Identifiably LGBTQ+ people are frequently targeted in violent attacks in the Americas. According to local NGOs, prevailing conservative attitudes mean LGBTQ+ people are often ostracised, particularly in rural or low-income urban areas. This makes them vulnerable to groups or individuals with violent intentions, such as overtly homophobic and transphobic people, criminal gangs or the police. This is particularly as these NGOs state that many struggle to find regular incomes, with some relying on prostitution.
Trans people seem to be the main target. The Organisation of American States reported a life expectancy of just 35 years for trans people in Latin America in 2015. This does not appear to have improved since. In a sign of the severity of anti-trans violence, earlier this month, a trans woman was beaten up and thrown into a ravine in a suburb of Medellin, Colombia. According to Trans Murder Monitoring, 71% of trans murders globally in 2024 occurred in Latin America (248 of 350), with 30% (106) in Brazil alone. It said better monitoring in the region partly explains this. But anti-trans violence rates are still high by global standards.
Attacks against non-trans identifiably LGBTQ+ individuals seem to be rarer than attacks against trans people. We have not seen any publicly-available databases that focus on non-trans anti-LGBTQ+ violence regionwide. But some recent cases have received widespread press attention; in 2024, a man killed three women due to their sexuality in an arson attack in Buenos Aires. Lethal attacks like these are extremely rare though; most violence seems to be non-lethal physical abuse. In a recent example, a social media influencer in Monterrey said he was beaten up by three men in what they described as a homophobic attack.
Anti-LGBTQ+ attacks are frequent even though many countries have strong LGBTQ+ legal protections. According to Equaldex, an independent data project, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay are among the top ten countries globally for LGBTQ+ legal rights and freedoms. Latin American countries typically have constitutions based on human rights that support those with protected characteristics, including LGBTQ+ people. Equaldex data suggests that the public does not agree with such rights though (see map). Indeed, many LGBTQ+ rights activists have said these rights ‘remain on paper’ and do not prevent harassment and violence, particularly outside of major cities.
LGBTQ+ travellers at lower risk of violence
We assess that there is a low likelihood that identifiably LGBTQ+ travellers will be violently attacked anywhere in the Americas in the coming years. People conducting attacks seem to target vulnerable locals in low-income areas, which are rarely visited by foreigners. In a sign of this, Trans Murder Monitor said in 2024 that sex workers are the ‘most targeted group’. We have not seen any recent press reports of violence against LGBTQ+ foreigners. And the UK, the only major Western government that advises on risks for LGBTQ+ people in the region, only advises of potential ‘physical harassment’ in Belize, Brazil, El Salvador and Guatemala.
Verbal harassment the main risk for foreigners
Verbal harassment seems to be the main risk for foreign LGBTQ+ travellers across the region. The UK FCDO advises that same-sex relationships and trans people are ‘frowned on’ in many countries, and that identifiably LGBTQ+ people are likely to receive ‘unwanted and negative attention’, in particular for those who ‘show affection in public’. Based on travel blogs, LGBTQ+ people are likely to experience verbal insults, staring and refusal of entry or service.
Verbal and physical harassment are particularly likely in Central America, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. This is where conservative attitudes are most prevalent within the region, according to Equaldex and local press reports. The authorities there seem to neglect protections for LGBTQ+ people, especially in Venezuela. The police there frequently arbitrarily arrest LGBTQ+ individuals, according to local NGOs; in 2023 the police reportedly temporarily detained 33 men at a LGBTQ+ bar in Valencia. The UK FCDO advises of ‘negative attention from the police and other security forces’ for LGBTQ+ people in Venezuela.
Verbal harassment is likely in rural and low-income areas regionwide. But overt expressions of homophobia or transphobia appear to be rare in affluent areas of major cities, which typically have liberal, diverse populations. This includes Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Montevideo and Santiago, which travel blogs suggest are the ‘most friendly’ cities for LGBTQ+ travellers. Outside of these areas, and particularly in rural areas and low-income urban areas, prevailing social attitudes are generally conservative and hostile to LGBTQ+ persons.
Legal basis unlikely to worsen in most countries
We have not seen any sign that politicians are looking to pass laws to restrict LGBTQ+ rights. Some have taken steps in recent years that have been strongly condemned by local LGBTQ+ groups though. For instance, the president of El Salvador defunded LGBTQ+ education and removed public sector staff working on LGBTQ+ rights, while the government in Peru last year labelled trans people as having ‘mental disorders’ – it later reversed this.
Image: A giant rainbow flag is seen at Copacabana Beach before the start of the annual Pride Parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 24 November 2024. Photo by Florian Plaucheur/AFP via Getty Images.
