Key facts
- Spanish student Claudia Tacoronte, 21, was killed in central Mexico.
- Her body was found on Saturday near the Casa de Cultura in Cuautla, Morelos state.
- Local authorities are investigating the case as a femicide.
- Tacoronte was a student at the University of Granada on an academic exchange program.
- Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares demanded justice and stated authorities are in contact with the family.
- Morelos recorded 21 femicides between January and July this year.
Spain's foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, has demanded justice following the killing of 21-year-old Spanish student Claudia Tacoronte in central Mexico. Tacoronte, who was studying at the University of Granada, was in Mexico on an academic exchange program when her body was discovered on Saturday near the Casa de Cultura in Cuautla, Morelos state. Local authorities are investigating the incident as a femicide, with media reports citing stab wounds as the cause of death. She had been in Morelos for less than a month and was staying at the cultural center for a medicinal plant festival. Spain's Equality Minister Ana Redondo condemned the violence, stating that "sexist violence knows no borders and no age." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that federal authorities are assisting in the investigation. Students at the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos held a silent vigil and called for stronger protections for female students, referencing other recent killings in the state. The University of Granada also condemned the act and observed a minute of silence in Tacoronte's memory, canceling future exchange placements to Morelos for three students. Mexico continues to grapple with high rates of gender-based violence, with Morelos recording 21 femicides between January and July of this year, and 380 nationwide during the same period.