Two Influencers Killed by Gunmen in Mexico, Colombia Amid Femicide Crisis

Two young social media influencers, Maria Jose Estupinan in Colombia and Valeria Marquez in Mexico, were recently killed under similar circumstances involving assailants posing as delivery persons. Estupinan, a 22-year-old university student and influencer, was shot multiple times at her home in Cúcuta, Colombia; authorities suspect her ex-partner, whom she had previously reported for domestic violence, may be responsible, highlighting concerns about femicide in Colombia. Just days earlier, 23-year-old Mexican influencer Valeria Marquez was shot and killed during a TikTok livestream at her beauty salon by a masked gunman who arrived with an accomplice on a motorcycle; prosecutors believe the attack was a contract killing by hired assassins linked to organized crime in Jalisco. Marquez had expressed fear moments before the attack, and the assailants appeared not to personally know her, suggesting a targeted hit. These killings have reignited conversations about violence against women and femicide in both countries, with thousands of women murdered in Mexico since 2001 and hundreds of femicides reported annually in Colombia. Authorities in both countries continue investigations amid public outcry and calls for greater protections for women.