Woman protests with coffin in Mexico, demanding labor justice

Marisol Uriegas drove through the streets of Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, with two coffins and vehicles draped in protest messages, demanding labor justice. Her personal struggle has spanned seven years of lawsuits, appeals, and seizures.

Messages like "I don't want to die waiting for justice" and "Labor justice is dead" were displayed on fluorescent signs covering a white Spark vehicle. A gray coffin was placed on top of the car, while a motocar carried two banners and another brown coffin.

Uriegas stated she has won several labor rulings but has not received payment because the company she is suing has filed appeals. She worked for a funeral company for over 16 years before being fired in 2019, initiating the conflict. In 2025, a labor board ordered an embargo on the company for over 700,000 pesos in back wages and benefits, leading to the seizure of coffins and other company items.

"It seems that what the authorities and companies are looking for is for us to get tired, to give up, or to die waiting for justice," Uriegas said in an interview. She was reinstated in May 2025 but has not been given any work activities since then, prompting her to file further complaints.

Recently, Uriegas confronted the Tamaulipas Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, Luis Gerardo Illoldi, about the delays. He explained her case was within the due process, but she argued this process has only prolonged her wait and benefited the company.