Elena Ríos Smears Her Victim While Her Own History of Violence Against Women Remains Ignored

Once celebrated as a symbol of resilience for surviving an acid attack, María Elena Ríos now faces allegations of violence against Andrea Montserrat Ramos Gómez at Reforma Hospital. As a substitute deputy for Morena, Ríos has sought to deflect accountability by using social media to smear Andrea, sharing images of weapons and cash to shift the narrative.

In the face of this controversy, Andrea Montserrat, the victim of Rios’ violent and sexual attack, has bravely come forward to demand justice. Despite the media positioning and public sympathy surrounding Ríos, Andrea’s voice has been overshadowed. Her fight for justice against physical and sexual violence shows the urgent need to address the systemic failures that enable such abuses to persist unchecked.

Elena Ríos Use of Social Media to Smear Her Victim

Elena Ríos shared images of Andrea holding firearms and cash, using social media to smear her character and deflect from her violence at Reforma Hospital. This calculated effort to shift blame shows a troubling misuse of influence and illustrates Ríos’ unwillingness to take accountability. Despite her efforts to justify her actions, video footage captured her ripping off Andrea’s underwear—a clear act of sexual violence to attack her private area further.

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🔴 | Hago de conocimiento al @Mecanismo_MX y a la Presidenta @Claudiashein ya que, lamentablemente el Gobernador de #Oaxaca @salomonj no ha hecho más que criminalizarme por defenderme de él, a través de sus instituciones como la @SSPC_GobOax | @IvanGarcia_A y del… pic.twitter.com/jgF43DaVnP

— • 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐑í𝐨𝐬 🎷 (@_ElenaRios) December 24, 2024

Governor Salomón Jara condemned the assault, stating, “What we saw is unjustifiable. We cannot take justice into our own hands.” This response shows the glaring irony in Ríos’ attempt to discredit Andrea while expecting immunity due to her Morena backing. Andrea, speaking about the assault and its aftermath, shared her frustration: “Instead of addressing what she did to me, she has tried to paint me as the aggressor.” She described the attack as a violation not only of her body but of her dignity, leaving her to navigate the dual trauma of physical violence and public smearing. Ríos’ attempt to shift blame mirrors a long-standing pattern of her family evading accountability.

The Ríos Family’s History of Violence

Elena Ríos seeks to portray Andrea Montserrat as a criminal, despite there being no documented legal cases against Andrea. In stark contrast, Ríos and her family have a well-documented history of violence and abuse, supported by multiple legal cases, with Andrea now standing as their latest victim. The following is a list of documented legal complaints against the Rios family.

1. Assault on Their Father’s Mistress

On June 5, 2012, Isabel Oliva Martínez Romero filed Case No. LI 1007/HL/2012 with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca. She accused Elena and Silvia Ríos of brutally assaulting her after discovering her relationship with their father. Isabel suffered serious injuries, including knife threats, during the attack.

2. Public Assault Over Alleged Affair

In September 2012, Silvia Ríos and Mary Carmen Ortiz Martínez were implicated in Case No. 1721/HL/2012, filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca. The case involved the public assault of a woman whom Silvia and Mary allegedly accused of having an affair with Mary’s husband.

The assault reportedly took place within a school environment, adding another layer of concern. The location exposed minors to the violent incident, potentially creating distress among witnesses and raising questions about the impact on the community.

3. Gang-Related Assault Allegations

In 2013, authorities opened Case No. LI 606/HL/2013 to investigate an “aggravated gang assault” involving Elena, Silvia, and their brother Carlos. The Ríos siblings allegedly attacked Gonzalo Martínez Soriano and his relatives with a group of accomplices, causing severe harm.

4. Carlos Ríos Ortiz’s Fatal Stabbing

In 2015, Carlos Ríos Ortiz, Elena’s brother, fatally stabbed an 18-year-old. This incident led to the family’s excommunication from Santo Domingo Tonalá and tarnished their reputation further. Despite their violent actions, the family maintained a veneer of respectability through their political ties.

This history of violence culminates in the Reforma Hospital assault, where Andrea Montserrat became the latest victim. In a hypocritical attempt to shift blame, Elena Ríos smears the victim, Andrea Montserrat Ramos Gómez, through Instagram despite her own family facing serious accusations spanning over a decade.

Ríos’ Political Privilege and Media Shield

As a Morena substitute deputy, Elena Ríos has leveraged her political privilege to evade accountability. During the Reforma Hospital assault, police participated in the attack against Andrea, disrupting a facility meant for healing. This misuse of public resources, coupled with media silence and some leading feminist leaders excusing Rios’ actions, reveals a systemic bias that shields those politically connected.

📺Ⓜ️Así agredió la saxofonista María Elena Ríos a una mujer en un hospital de la ciudad de #Oaxaca.

📌Las cámaras de vigilancia captaron el momento exacto en que María Elena se lanza con golpes y patadas contra quien creían era una de las hijas de Juan Vera Carrizal.

Los… pic.twitter.com/p8d29Dan6O

— Sofy Valdivia (@sofyvaldivia) December 20, 2024

Ríos’ attempts to justify the attack by linking Andrea to Juan Vera Carrizal, her alleged acid orchestrator, reveal a glaring hypocrisy. While Ríos cites Andrea’s alleged connections to shift blame, her own documented history of violence—including multiple legal cases—undermines her narrative.

Adding to this pattern of privilege, the renaming of the Acid Law to “Ley Malena” highlights how Ríos has monopolized advocacy for acid attack survivors. Activists like Carmen Sánchez, who have spent years fighting for justice, were sidelined to center Ríos’ narrative. Meanwhile, leaders like Citlalli Hernández Mora, head of the Women’s Secretariat, expressed solidarity with Ríos after the Reforma incident, deflecting attention from her violent actions.

Justice Must Be Equal for All

Andrea Montserrat deserves justice, not baseless smears. Her continued pursuit of justice illustrates the need for systemic change to protect all victims equally. Her bravery in filing a complaint against a political figure like Elena Ríos shows the urgent need for accountability.

Hitandekas A.C., an indigenous feminist organization have strongly condemned Elena Ríos’ actions during the assault on Andrea. The declaration unequivocally demands justice for Andrea and calls for solidarity among women to reject all forms of violence, regardless of the perpetrator. It states: “It is absolutely unjustifiable for a woman who calls herself a defender of women’s rights to act violently against another woman, no matter the reason.”

Andrea Montserrat Ramos Gómez’s fight for justice is a call to action for systemic and social reform. Her courage shows the urgent need to challenge double standards and demand accountability for all aggressors, regardless of status, gender, or past victimhood. True justice requires hearing every victim’s voice, dismantling systemic failures, and ensuring that no survivor’s pain is ignored or excused. The case illustrates how Elena Ríos smears the victim to evade responsibility, further highlighting the importance of opposing such strategies to guarantee justice for all.