A crime that marked Mexico
On July 31, 2015, five people were murdered in apartment 401 of the building located at 1909 Luz Saviñón Street, in the Narvarte neighborhood of Mexico City. This episode, known as the Narvarte multihomicide, has been going on for a decade without being completely clarified. The victims—a photojournalist, an activist, a domestic worker and two young people—represented different sectors of society, but shared a context of systematic violence in the state of Veracruz.
The victims and their stories
Rubén Espinosa Becerril, a photojournalist originally from Mexico City, developed his career in Veracruz, where he documented crimes against colleagues, including the murder of Regina Martínez, correspondent for Proceso. Espinosa reported death threats from those close to then-governor Javier Duarte. “There in Xalapa I was a bastard,” he confessed to his sister before returning to the capital. His work made him a target of reprisals, as revealed by the documentary A Plena Luz del Día.
Nadia Vera, a Chiapas activist, focused her fight on forced disappearances during Duarte’s mandate. After suffering raids in Veracruz, he moved to Narvarte, where he met Espinosa. Vera had publicly warned: “If something happens to me, I hold Javier Duarte responsible.” His connection with the photojournalist arose during a protest repressed by state police.
Alejandra Negrete, a domestic worker originally from Naucalpan, was in the wrong place. Her daughter reported that she tried to contact her at the exact time of the crime: “The first call rang; the others did not.” Yesenia Quiroz, an 18-year-old makeup artist, and Mile Virginia Martínez, a Colombian model, shared the apartment temporarily. Milei’s family highlighted her determination: “She told us that she was already established in Mexico.” Milei’s red Mustang was used by the killers to escape.
Context and implications
This crime highlighted the risks faced by journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico, especially in Veracruz, then considered one of the most dangerous states to practice these professions. The lack of progress in the investigation reflects patterns of impunity: only one suspect, linked to a minor cartel, was arrested, but the intellectual motives were not clarified. Organizations such as Article 19 and Amnesty International have demanded justice, pointing out that the case could be related to retaliation for complaints against the Duarte government, later convicted of corruption.
The Narvarte multiple homicide is not only an unsolved crime; It is a symbol of the structural violence that persists in Mexico. A decade later, families are still waiting for answers, while the Mexican State faces questions for its inability to protect those who denounce abuses of power.
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