[4][5][6] Baena was born in Saltillo, Coahuila, where they earned a bachelor's and master's degree in law from the Autonomous University of Coahuila and worked as lecturer of electoral law, legislative process and public management at the University for Professional Development (Unidep, 2010–2011).
[8] On 17 May 2023, Baena made history by becoming the first Mexican citizen to receive a gender-neutral passport (which at the time only 16 countries were offering)[11][12] and was sworn in as a magistrate next to a rainbow flag.
[13] Their accomplishments were covered by CNN en Español in 2022[4] and the segment was nominated for the 34th GLAAD Media Awards.
[5][16][17] According to the Aguascalientes state prosecutor, both had razor-blade wounds,[18] and the security cameras showed no third party entering their home after they arrived in the early hours from a trip to Oaxaca;[10] in addition, toxicology analyses had revealed the presence of methamphetamines in Nieves Herrera's system.
[19] The state prosecution service said it suspected Herrera killed Baena before taking his own life; their families, however, rejected that hypothesis.