Third gay woman dies after Molotov cocktail attack

A third woman has died after a man threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of two lesbian couples, killing two women in Buenos Aires last week, according to Argentina’s LGBT+ Federation.

The attack on May 6, widely seen as a hate crime, shocked many in a nation that considers itself to be a pioneer of gay rights in Latin America.

A 62-year-old man threw a Molotov cocktail into a boarding house where the lesbian couples lived, setting it ablaze, officials said.

The suspect was arrested and taken to hospital.

A woman died last Tuesday and another on Wednesday, both suffering from burn injuries.

The third victim of the attack died around 10am on Sunday, Maria Rachid of the LGBT+ Federation said.

The fourth woman, who suffered milder injuries, “is recovering and has a good prognosis”, Rachid said.

Dozens of people gathered last week in front of the boarding house, lighting candles for a vigil. On Friday, another event was held near the nation’s Congress to demand justice for the attack.

Argentina has been a Latin American leader in gay marriage and identity legislation, with a 2021 law allowing nonbinary people to mark their gender with an “X”.

However, many fear a backsliding in their freedoms under libertarian President Javier Milei.

“This hate crime is not an isolated event,” the Buenos Aires women’s ministry wrote on X, saying it was a consequence of the government’s “irresponsible” discourse.

Since taking office in December, Milei has scrapped the national women’s affairs ministry and the anti-discrimination agency, and banned the use of gender-inclusive language in the military.