A 21-year-old Spanish student, Claudia Tacoronte, was found dead on Saturday in the central Mexican city of Cuautla, in the state of Morelos, in a killing that authorities are investigating as a possible femicide.
Spain's Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said on Monday that he wanted the case solved, telling reporters that his ministry was in contact with the young woman's family.
Tacoronte was a student at the University of Granada, in southern Spain, and had traveled to Mexico under a student exchange program with the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, known as UAEM.
How Tacoronte died
Her body was found late on Saturday night at the Casa de Cultura, a cultural center in Cuautla, a city about 100 kilometers south of Mexico City.
Mexican media outlets, citing police sources, reported that Tacoronte died after suffering multiple stab wounds. She had been living in Morelos for less than a month, according to the state's attorney general, Fernando Blumenkron, who told reporters she had gone to the cultural center to attend a festival dedicated to medicinal plants.
Video shows suspect fleeing scene
The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that it had obtained a video showing the suspected attacker fleeing the crime scene carrying a backpack at 8:50 p.m. on Saturday, September 12.
Spanish officials react
Spain's Equality Minister, Ana Redondo, said on social media that Tacoronte's exchange in Mexico should have given her an experience of learning and freedom, adding that gender-based violence recognizes no borders and no age. She offered her condolences to Tacoronte's loved ones and to the university community in Granada.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said federal authorities were providing support for the investigation into the killing.
Vigil and calls for justice
Students at the Mexican university took part in a silent vigil on Monday and called on authorities to guarantee justice in the case. Some also demanded greater protection for female students, pointing to other recent deaths of women in the state.
In Granada, the university where Tacoronte studied condemned the killing and observed a minute of silence in her memory. According to a report by El Pais, the university also decided to cancel the planned arrival of three students who were due to study in Morelos next semester under the exchange program.
Mexico's femicide crisis
Femicide, the killing of a woman or girl because of her gender, is treated as an aggravated crime under Mexican law. Mexican authorities have struggled for years to curb gender-based violence, which remains at alarmingly high levels across the country.
Morelos recorded 21 femicides between January and July of this year, according to official data. Nationwide, Mexico recorded 380 femicides over the same period.
