In the middle of a concert, this singer denounces her ex-husband by reproducing the universal sign of women victims of violence

Her gesture intrigued the spectators. At the end of her concert in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, on February 16, singer Alicia Villarreal raised her arm, the palm of her hand open, then folded her thumb and closed the remaining fingers on it. This sign, which may seem enigmatic, serves as a call for help in cases of violence . It was founded in 2020 by the Canadian Women's Foundation to help them denounce the attacks of which they are victims. On February 19, three days after her show, the artist filed a complaint against her ex-husband, the producer Cruz Martinez, for domestic violence .

According to the Mexican website Nmas , Cruz Martinez allegedly entered Alicia Villarreal's home without her permission in order to hide and then threaten her. The situation quickly escalated, and the producer allegedly tried to strangle his ex-partner. The artist managed to escape and then went to a private hospital to be examined.

Cruz Martinez and Alicia Villarreal were married in 2003. From 2023, conflicts became more and more present in the relationship after the revelation of Cruz Martinez's infidelity to the general public: a series of photos showed him with another woman. Their divorce was announced a few months later, in October 2023.

Given the magnitude of the phenomenon - the video of Alicia Villarreal's gesture spread like wildfire online - a statement written by her lawyers was released on the artist's Instagram account, in which Alicia Villarreal thanks the public and the press for their support and solidarity. In addition, the lawyers indicated that their client "wants this moment to be a precedent so that no woman has to experience a similar situation. That is why she is appealing to all those who are experiencing situations of violence to #conquersilence and to denounce it with the assurance that they are not alone."