During a livestream from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Mexico, beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, 23, received a delivery that elicited a cheerful response as she unwrapped a stuffed animal. However, moments later, the livestream took a tragic turn when she was shot dead, slumped over her desk with blood pooling around her. The chilling incident unfolded before her online followers, with the footage terminating only when an unidentified person briefly came into view while picking up her phone.
Authorities in Jalisco state are investigating her death as a suspected femicide, highlighting the grim reality of gender-based violence in Mexico. Marquez, who boasted over 100,000 followers on Instagram, has become another sombre statistic in a country grappling with escalating rates of homicide, particularly against women. Just days prior to this incident, another female public figure, a mayoral candidate in Veracruz, was also murdered during a livestream, further illuminating the rising violence faced by women in public roles.
The statistics surrounding femicide in Mexico are stark. In 2020, one-quarter of female homicides were classified as femicides, and Amnesty International reported cases in all 32 states. The toll continues to climb, with Mexican government data revealing 847 femicides in the previous year and 162 in just the first quarter of this year. Human Rights Watch indicates that women comprised roughly 12 per cent of all homicides in Mexico in 2022.
Critics point to a dire need for improved investigations and prosecution of these crimes, as the current response from authorities has been deemed insufficient. According to Human Rights Watch’s Americas Director, Juanita Goebertus, the rate of cases resulting in a verdict hovers around 67 per cent, underlining the systemic challenges of adequately addressing these offences. Insufficient resources hinder the ability to investigate effectively and protect potential witnesses and victims.
Despite the public outcry following Marquez’s death, many fear it will merely be another incident in a long line of similar tragedies that reflect the ongoing fight against violence towards women in Mexico. As authorities continue their investigation, the stark reality remains of a society struggling with the legacy of gender-based violence, with many advocating for urgent reforms to protect women and ensure justice in such heinous cases.