René Villareal Ascencio, a driver for taxi platforms like Uber and Didi, was found dead after 19 days of disappearance. Villareal Ascencio accepted a ride on April 18th to the Higuerón neighborhood, near Pedro Amaro, and then to the municipality of Jojutla. After informing his colleagues that he would communicate his location once he left the area, he lost all contact with them.
His disappearance sparked a series of protests among platform workers in the region, who demanded that authorities intensify the search for Villareal Ascencio. This situation led to the blocking of major roads in Cuernavaca, such as Plan de Ayala and the exits of the Paso Exprés, demanding answers from the Morelos Attorney General's Office and the state government.
Finally, after being in uncertainty for more than two weeks, authorities confirmed the tragic discovery of the driver's body. While the details about the circumstances of his death are still unknown, the case highlights the growing wave of insecurity faced by drivers of digital platforms in Morelos.
The death of Villareal Ascencio has reignited complaints from platform drivers about the increasing violence on the streets of Morelos. Colleagues and friends of Renée have expressed their shock and have demanded justice, as well as additional security measures to protect drivers working on platforms like Uber and Didi.
On April 18th, Villareal Ascencio accepted a ride through one of the platforms around 8:40 p.m. and since then, nothing was known about him. Platform workers have expressed their concern about the frequency of robberies, disappearances, and other violent crimes that endanger their lives while doing their job.
After his disappearance, Villareal Ascencio's colleagues organized a protest at several locations in Cuernavaca on April 25th to demand his prompt location alive and to request more effective security measures. They also demanded the implementation of advanced technologies in the Coordination, Command, Control, Communications and Computing Center (C5) to improve security on the streets and ensure the protection of platform drivers.
Funeral honors are currently being held at the home of René Villareal Ascencio in the Satélite neighborhood, and his burial is scheduled for 11 a.m.
