Headline: Daughter Seeks Justice for Uber Driver Mother, Killed in Mexico City
Subhead: Brisa García calls for investigation into Karla Patricia Cortés’ death as a femicide, as 10 women are killed daily in Mexico.
Article:
In the late afternoon of December 29, Karla Patricia Cortés Cervantes, an Uber driver, left her home in Mexico City to start her shift. Hours later, her daughter Brisa García received devastating news: her mother’s body had been found in the Azcapotzalco borough, north of the capital. Since then, García has been crusading for justice, demanding that the authorities investigate her mother’s death as a femicide.
Cortés, a 41-year-old mother of two, became one of the countless women whose lives have been cut short in Mexico, where, according to EL PAÍS, more than 3,000 women are killed each year, with a 95% impunity rate.
García took to Twitter to share the news of her mother’s death, urging Uber Mexico’s platform to take responsibility. She recounted that Cortés had received a fatal gunshot wound around 8:00 PM, concluding, "It was not a simple assault."
Disturbing videos surfaced on social media, showing Cortés’ white van parked in an Azcapotzalco street, with another person inside. In one chilling moment, Cortés’ lifeless body is seen being thrown onto the asphalt as the vehicle drives away. The van was later found abandoned.
García suspects foul play, accusing the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office for Homicide and Feminicide of trying to dismiss the case as a simple homicide. Despite repeated requests, the office has not commented on the case.
Cortés was a devoted mother to her two daughters, one of whom is a minor. García has criticized the lack of protection protocols implemented by the authorities for her younger sister, whom she will now become the legal guardian of. She also alleges that they have been threatened by Cortés’ former partner.
"My mother was a brave, hardworking woman. She went out to work and never returned," García said, calling on Uber to implement stricter safety measures for female drivers, including life insurance for those who have lost family members.
Uber has claimed to have collaborated with the City of Mexico Prosecutor’s Office following three information requests between December 30 and January 2. Meanwhile, García has organized a peaceful march to the prosecutors’ office, set for Monday, to continue pressuring for justice.
Mexico’s femicide crisis remains a pressing issue, with women’s advocacy groups pushing for stronger laws and increased protections. García’s fight for justice for her mother is a heartbreaking reminder of the urgency for change.