The death of fourteen-year-old Paloma Nicole Arellano Escobedo in Durango, Mexico, after an alleged plastic surgery, has drawn national and international attention, sparking outrage, grief, and a demand for accountability, even from President Claudia Sheinbaum.
What began as a hospital admission for a young teenager ended in tragedy on September 20, 2025, when Paloma was declared dead. The official cause of death, listed on her certificate, was cerebral edema resulting from a respiratory illness. Yet her father, Carlos Arellano, has publicly disputed that explanation, alleging that his daughter died as a result of a secret breast augmentation surgery that he neither knew about nor approved.
Arellano claims that the medical certificate was issued with suspicious haste and that it obscured the real cause of death. He says he only learned of the surgery after noticing surgical scars and implants following his daughter's funeral, an experience he described as a devastating revelation.
He wrote on Facebook that "My daughter, Paloma Nicole Arellano Escobedo, just 14 years old, died a victim of an act of criminal negligence at a clinic on Phoenix Street. On September 12th she underwent, without my consent, plastic surgery... On September 20, after days of suffering, my daughter passed away. On his death certificate falsely put "illness" as the cause of death, trying to cover up the truth. The complaint has already been filed with the Durango Prosecutor's Office. I demand that all responsible be investigated: the doctor, the mother, the hospital, their administrators and those who participated in this cover-up. Mr. Governor Esteban Villegas and Mrs. Marisol Rosso: I ask you to intervene so that this crime does not remain impunity."
During her regular morning press conference ("mañanera") on September 24, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that the Secretaría de Gobernación (Interior Ministry) will follow up on the case, aiming to clarify responsibilities and ensure full legal scrutiny. She also offered direct help to Paloma Nicole's family, saying, "Send us the case and we will gladly reach out to the family and see how we can help."
The case has now moved into the hands of the Durango prosecutor's office, which has confirmed that an investigation is underway. However, officials have not released details about potential suspects or charges. Public reaction has been swift. The idea that a fourteen-year-old could undergo cosmetic surgery, especially without the knowledge of both parents, has raised alarms about medical ethics and the regulation of aesthetic procedures in Mexico.
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