A 21-year-old Spanish student on an academic exchange in Mexico was murdered in the state of Morelos—located in the country’s central region—in a crime that the Prosecutor’s Office is investigating as femicide, local authorities reported on Sunday. Morelos Governor Margarita González Saravia confirmed the crime and stated that state authorities had contacted the Spanish Consulate in Mexico to provide support and assistance to the young woman’s family; she had been in the country for an academic exchange at the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos (UAEM).
In a statement, the university identified the deceased as 21-year-old Claudia Tacoronte Aguilera, who was participating in an exchange program at the Mexican institution, having arrived from the University of Granada in southern Spain.
Meanwhile, Morelos Prosecutor Fernando Blumenkron said the incident took place on Saturday at the Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture) in Cuautla, a municipality about 100 kilometers south of Mexico City.
“Yesterday, we learned of this tragic news regarding a young Spanish woman—we have confirmed her nationality,” the state prosecutor told local media, without providing further details about the circumstances of the incident. Blumenkron indicated that the crime is initially being investigated as femicide, in accordance with protocols for violent deaths of women, while authorities determine whether gender-based motives were involved.
The prosecutor added that contact was immediately established with the Spanish Consulate in Mexico as part of the standard response protocol to facilitate communication with the victim’s family. “This will allow us to stay in touch with her relatives… and we will provide them with full support,” he stated.
