Last Tuesday, July 5th, Denver authorities confirmed the death of María José Chacón Herrera, wife of the current Guatemala consul in Denver, Henry Ortiz.

The wife of the Guatemalan consul was in Tijuana, where she had undergone aesthetic surgery. However, María José had to be transferred to Red Cross facilities after health complications.

Nota de Duelo pic.twitter.com/S8JN6NMQoj

— Consulado General de Guatemala en Denver (@ConsGuaDenver) July 5, 2022

According to information shared by Punto Norte, María José Chacón, 38 years old, had to be rescheduled twice and then had scheduled to undergo aesthetic surgery at Hospital Jerusalem, located in Playas de Tijuana.

The information states that, when relatives arrived at the clinic to visit the patient, the hospital’s facilities had been closed with chains. The doctor in charge claimed that staff had gone “to the store” and had closed the doors with chains.

The next day, María was transferred in a private vehicle without her or her family’s consent to Florence Hospital where she was operated by Doctor José Luis Tokunaga. When she returned, Doctor Juan Betancourt, head of surgery, was unable to explain the patient’s transfer to another hospital to her relatives. Two days later, on June 24th, María was discharged and once again, under mysterious circumstances, hospital personnel asked relatives to park in an adjacent place so they could deliver the patient.

Ten days later, on the morning of July 4, María was transferred to the Red Cross Hospital at Colonia Los Santos, after fainting. She died that very same afternoon, due to organ complications due to surgery. Inés García Ramos reported this for Punto Norte.

Proper authorities have opened an investigation and carried out searches at Jerusalem Hospital facilities where the aesthetic surgery was done. Recollected data will be part of the deceased’s medical history. Once the autopsy is finished, the exact cause of death will be determined.

It should be noted that since two months ago, due to Hospital Jerusalem not having the proper licenses to continue operating, the State Commission for Protection Against Health Risks closed the facilities. However, the hospital’s staff ignored the closed signs and continued operating by receiving patients, one of which was the consul’s wife.