A Veracruz lawmaker has backed down after suggesting there be a 10:00pm curfew for women as a measure to counter femicide.

Ana Miriam Ferráez generated an uproar on social media after saying women in Veracruz should remain indoors after 10:00pm to prevent femicides “until the situation is fixed.”

She has since apologized for the statement.

The legislator’s comments, along with the disbelief of reporter Gabriela Rosgado, were captured in a video that has since received thousands of views and comments on social media.

The reporter can be heard saying “No freaking way!” in an immediate reaction to Ferráez’s comment.

In an interview later Rosgado said she did not know she was being recorded, though she does not regret her initial response. She added that while she believed the idea to be absurd, she had not intended to be disrespectful or to make fun of the legislator.

The latter told a press conference that she made the comment out of a profound personal sense of pain over gender-motivated violence in Veracruz.

She added that she never intended to victimize women or to limit their freedoms and expressed solidarity for those who suffer from discrimination, misogyny and gender-based violence.

“Humans make mistakes, and it is with humility that I would like to reiterate my apology to all of the women who were hurt by my comments.”

Veracruz was the state with the highest number of recorded femicides in 2018 and is also one of the states with the highest rates of violent crimes against women.

Source: El Universal (sp), Excélsior (sp)