Two men accused of the femicide of a young girl, Ariana, and her grandmother, Miriam, were lynched by local residents in the municipality of Ostuacán, in northern Chiapas. According to security sources, one of the men died, while the other sustained injuries.
Earlier in the day, Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar had announced that the individuals suspected of the double femicide had been taken into custody.
However, following reports of the lynching, he urged the people of Ostuacán to trust the authorities to uphold the law.
“Taking justice into one’s own hands does not restore peace; instead, it can lead to further suffering and legal consequences for innocent people. Violence only begets more violence. I call upon you to act with prudence and to leave the administration of justice to the legal system,” he stated in an urgent message posted to his Facebook account.
Meanwhile, security sources indicated that an operation is currently underway in the area.
On Friday, the body of 12-year-old Ariana was discovered following an intensive four-day search involving family members, local residents, and authorities.
According to local sources, the girl went missing last Monday, October 19, along with her grandmother, Miriam Cruz—who was nearly 60 years old—after they left their home to perform agricultural work.
Hours later, the grandmother was found dead, and young Ariana was reported missing, prompting the issuance of an Amber Alert.
State Attorney General Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca reported that, based on the autopsy and forensic evidence, the grandmother died from “acute hemorrhage resulting from the severing of major blood vessels in the neck, caused by a sharp, pointed object.” The prosecutor added that little Ariana was sexually assaulted and died “from mechanical asphyxia due to strangulation; she also sustained post-mortem injuries, severe craniocerebral trauma, and signs of a struggle and defensive actions.”
This double femicide has sparked outrage among civil society. Non-governmental organizations, such as the collective 50+1, expressed their strongest rejection, indignation, and condemnation regarding the crime, which they described as an “atrocious double femicide.”
It was further noted that, with these incidents, the total number of femicides recorded in Chiapas so far in 2026 has reached 30.
“We are deeply pained by these lost lives, because femicidal violence does not end with the crime itself; it leaves behind indelible scars, profound trauma, and an irreparable void within their families, their communities, and the entire social fabric of our state,” the NGO stated in a public declaration.
