With a trembling voice and a visibly battered face, Ana Gabriela Zúñiga Saldívar told through social networks the story of how she was the victim of an assault while traveling on transport platforms.
“I never imagined it would happen to me, not because I think I'm invincible, but because I've always been cautious,” Ana Gabriela said.
It all started at 6:00 in the morning, when he went out with his spirits high and with his usual routine: turning on the Uber app to make trips and then switching to Didi.
But that day would not end like the others.
“I switched from Uber to Didi, and that's when my life took a turn. I picked up two passengers who didn't seem suspicious; everything seemed normal, until suddenly the atmosphere changed completely,” he said.
The terror began when the man in the back seat grabbed her violently, immobilizing her with his arm around her neck.
"I felt a knife stabbing me on the right side of my back. I couldn't move or scream," she recalled.
Meanwhile, the man in the front seat pulled out a gun and pointed it at her."At that moment, all I could think about was my children. I felt a fear I didn't know existed."
Ana Gabriela managed to survive the attack, albeit with severe emotional trauma. “I’m scared, of course I am. But I’m alive, although I don’t know how I’m going to go on after this,” she said.
In the broadcast he shared, he explained that the events happened in the Rivas Guillén neighborhood and that he decided to record himself to show that behind the violence figures there are real people and they are not just another number.
I arrived home and asked my mom for her phone number. Here I tell you what happened. I thank the man and his son who took me home.
Published by Gaby Zúñiga on Sunday, July 13, 2025
In addition to the emotional impact, the attackers stole her vehicle and cell phone."I know I'm not going to get my cell phone back, but please, if you see my car, help me. It's a blue Versa with license plate VAJ-568-B. It has a visible dent on the right rear door," she explained.
Regarding the attackers, he said that both were between 30 and 35 years old.
The case of Ana Gabriela Zúñiga is not an isolated incident. There are increasing numbers of ride-hailing platform drivers who have been victims of crime while on the job.
One of the most tragic cases was that of Dariana, a 23-year-old woman who was assaulted on September 22, 2024, by a supposed couple of passengers who had requested a ride through an app. During the trip, and under the pretext of a shared destination, the attackers violently attacked her and took her life before stealing her vehicle.
According to reports, the modus operandi of these crimes is often repetitive: the assailants pose as passengers, often choosing low-traffic areas or requesting rides during off-peak hours. Once inside the vehicle, they attack the driver from behind, using knives or firearms, immobilizing them with force or threats, and robbing them of their belongings, cell phones, and the car.
These events have generated growing concern among platform drivers, who are demanding greater security and protection mechanisms to be able to continue working without risking their lives.
