Hundreds march in Ciudad Mante demanding justice for Dafne
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Hundreds marched in Ciudad Mante demanding justice for Dafne Zapata Quintos, who died under suspicious circumstances.
- Dafne's mother, Alejandra Quintos, led the protest, expressing gratitude for community support.
- Dafne died on July 16 after being hospitalized following incidents at a private military academy.
Hundreds gathered in Ciudad Mante, Mexico, for a march demanding justice for Dafne Zapata Quintos, a teenager who died under suspicious circumstances earlier this month. The protest, led by Dafne's mother, Alejandra Quintos, saw a significant turnout, with participants chanting slogans calling for accountability.
Alejandra Quintos, visibly moved by the community's solidarity, expressed her gratitude. "I am in Ciudad Mante receiving all the love from my people," she stated, holding a photograph of her daughter. "I will no longer see my daughter and hug her, but these people show me that Ciudad Mante is united. We receive love, we want justice." As darkness fell, participants lit candles and used their phone lights, creating a poignant scene.
Dafne was admitted to the private Marina Doenitz Militarized Academy for a summer course on July 13. According to reports, academy coordinators informed her mother that Dafne had fainted and fallen, receiving medication. Later, a video was sent to the mother showing Dafne lying down, appearing to be fine but with visible bruises on her face and mouth.
On the evening of July 16, the academy contacted Alejandra Quintos again, reporting that Dafne had fainted while bathing. Shortly thereafter, they informed her of Dafne's death, which occurred under unclear circumstances. Since then, Dafne's mother has been actively campaigning on social media, demanding that the Tamaulipas Attorney General's Office investigate the academy's directors and coordinators and make arrests.
Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.