Valeria Márquez, a 23-year-old Mexican social media influencer, became popular with her dazzling beauty and makeup tutorials. Tragically, she was gunned down on Tuesday at a beauty parlor in Zapopan, Jalisco. As she was live streaming on TikTok, a shocking thing happened. By then, she had already amassed close to 200,000 followers on all her social media platforms combined.
Moments before the tragic event, Márquez was seen seated at a table, clutching a stuffed toy and interacting with her audience. In her first ever live stream, she expressed her frustration at an individual who recently frequented the salon. This person had brought some sort of an “expensive gift” for her during her absence. Márquez did not want to wait for the individual to come back. This was a clear indication of her discomfort with the state of affairs. Shortly before her stream lost connection, Márquez shouted, “They are coming!” So naturally, someone asked, “Alright, Vale.” Her turnaround answer was a yes.
Late Tuesday evening, Javier de Jesús Urbina Tapia, Jalisco’s state prosecutor, issued a statement asserting that officials were still investigating Márquez’s death as a homicide. They ruled it a suspect femicide. Witnesses told police a male assailant walked into the salon and began firing, killing her. This tragic and shocking incident sheds light on the larger issue of violence against women in Mexico, where femicides dramatically increased by 137% from 2015 to 2020.
In this context, Márquez’s death constitutes yet another sordid testament to the grim reality of gender-based violence in Mexico. Today, the country stands with Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia for having some of the worst rates of femicide in Latin America and in the Caribbean. The tragedy added to the horror of Jalisco state, often labeled as the deadliest in the world. It ranks no. 6 out of all of México’s 32 estados (including Mexico City).
Federal, state, and local authorities are investigating this unexpected and tragic act of gun violence. In turn, social media users, followers, and fans have overtaken every platform with their shock and mourning. Márquez was more than a content creator; she was an emerging leader from the Latinx beauty community. Her tragic and untimely death underscores the urgent need for appropriations. We need to be a lot more serious about the safety of women in Mexico.