Setback for Anabel Hernández: Violeta Vizcarra Wins Lawsuit Over Book ‘Las Señoras del Narco’

The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) ruled that the publishing house Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, S.A. de C.V. committed an infringement by using the image of socialite Violeta Vizcarra without consent in the book Las Señoras del Narco. Amar en el infierno (Love in Hell), written by journalist Anabel Hernández.

The ruling represents a significant precedent in the area of ​​image rights linked to journalistic publications, and is the first lawsuit against the researcher, which represents a setback for her.

According to a statement released by the law firm Maceo, Torres & Asociados, the ruling was issued on May 21, 2025, under file I.M.C. 2213/2023 (I-346) 27046. The IMPI concluded that Vizcarra was portrayed on the cover and inside pages of the book using a photograph taken from her social media accounts, without authorization for its use.

“The Institute determined that Penguin Random House had infringed Violeta’s rights by placing her own image on the cover of a book that sold for $389.00 pesos per copy,” the official document states. Furthermore, it emphasizes that the freedom of expression argument does not justify the commercial use of the image or the infringement of her presumption of innocence and dignity.