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The Cuban María Felicia Jiménez Lavie, a nuclear engineer, doctor of engineering, and professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), publicly denounced this week her husband, Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, former general director of the state-owned company Mexican Petroleum (Pemex), for physical assault and ongoing violence, after which she requested protective measures from the authorities.
The complaint was made public on June 25 through a video shared on social media that documents an assault by Rodríguez Padilla against Jiménez Lavie on March 15, 2026, in a home located in the municipality of Emiliano Zapata, state of Morelos, in the presence of the couple's young son, who is five years old.
At the time of the attack, Rodríguez Padilla was still in charge of Pemex.
The video was published by Jiménez Lavie, along with a message in which he requested help from the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, according to a report by the news agency EFE.
"At home, a high-ranking official of the current government hits his wife. Breaking the silence would mean losing my job, my income, having nowhere to live, and taking my children away from me simply because of their proximity to the upper echelons of the presidency," the Cuban academic declared, adding: "Everything that could happen to me or my children is Víctor Rodríguez Padilla's fault. Help, president."
When questioned by the press about the case, Sheinbaum reported that she was already aware of the situation and assured that the victim would receive "all the necessary support."
Jiménez Lavie stated in an interview with Aristegui Noticias that the episodes of violence began around 2022. "First there were verbal insults, then a slap, pushes, but this one, which was very brutal, left me with a lot of pain for several days while walking," he revealed.
The woman also reported that her husband used his position of power and her immigration status as tools of coercion, threatening to take away custody of their children or deport her to Cuba.
After spreading the videos, Jiménez Lavie faced new obstacles: her phone lines were blocked and the first account on the social media platform X that she used to post the images was suspended. "I just realized 10 minutes ago that they have completely blocked me. I can't receive or make any calls. This means that if they cut off my internet, I will be completely isolated and defenseless," she warned.
The academic pointed out that, at the time of her statements, she still did not have physical protection and that she needs support to leave the residence where she lives, in addition to psychological assistance for her children. "I still haven't seen it. I need to leave the home where I am; this is rented. I need [support] primarily for my two children," she stated.
The couple's youngest son witnessed the aggression captured on video and, in the days that followed, exhibited aggressive behaviors at school. The school's psychologist informed Jiménez Lavie about the situation.
On Friday, the Attorney General's Office of the State of Morelos announced the opening of an investigation into the "probable criminal actions arising from the dissemination of a complaint through a video, in which an act of violence against a woman is observed," recorded on March 15, involving "the alleged participation of a former federal official."
Additionally, she stated that she established communication with the Secretariat of Women of the Government of Mexico to "provide the necessary guarantees of protection to the victim."
"The current administration of the Morelos Prosecutor's Office reiterates its commitment to exhaust all relevant investigations to clarify responsibilities," stated the official communiqué.
The Women’s Secretariat condemned the events and called for the case to be investigated with a gender perspective. "For this secretariat, it is essential that any act of violence against a woman be addressed, investigated, and punished," it stated in a declaration.
For his part, Rodríguez Padilla issued a statement in which he announced his resignation from any public office to address the process as a citizen, invoked the principle of presumption of innocence, and requested discretion for the well-being of his family.
The case also sparked a controversy regarding his employment situation. Although President Sheinbaum had announced in May that she would take over the leadership of the National Institute of Electricity and Clean Energies (INEEL), and the institute itself formally introduced him as general director on June 3, the Secretary of Energy indicated on June 26 that this appointment "was never formalized."
Jiménez Lavie teaches classes at the Faculty of Engineering at UNAM and other institutions; however, she is financially dependent on her husband and does not have independent employment, which exacerbates her vulnerable situation. She requested that the investigation be conducted without privileges: "Do not support him; out of respect for women, let the law do what it must and punish him in the same way any other person would be punished."
According to the digital newspaper SDPNoticias, Jiménez Lavie completed her master's degree and doctorate in engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), specializing in energy matters. She was a professor in Cuba and, after arriving in Mexico, taught classes at the Military School of Engineers, the Faculty of Engineering at UNAM, and the Polytechnic University of the State of Morelos (Upemor).
The media outlet stated that she and Rodríguez Padilla got married on October 18, 2024, and they have two minor children.
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