Chilean leaders condemn brutal beating of gay man

A brutal attack on a gay Chilean man drew strong condemnation from political leaders and entertainer Ricky Martin.

Doctors in Santiago said 24-year-old Daniel Zamudio had been put in an induced coma while being treated for severe head trauma and a broken right leg suffered in the beating on March 3.

A swastika was drawn on the victim’s chest by the unidentified assailants, leading to speculation that neo-Nazis may have attacked him. Prosecutors said on March 6 that they had no definite evidence of neo-Nazi involvement but were continuing to investigate that possibility.

Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter posted a message on his Twitter account saying he repudiated the homophobic attack and expressed “total solidarity” with Zamudio. Hinzpeter recently said Chile should consider enacting a hate crime law to deal with such attacks.

Opposition politician Gabriel Silver also condemned the beating and urged the government to move quickly on the anti-discrimination legislation.

Martin, a Puerto Rican-born singer, also used his Twitter account to condemn the attack.

“No more hatred, no more discrimination. I hope that justice is done NOW. Lots of light to Daniel and his whole family,” the tweet said.

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