Argentina has been left reeling after the brutal murders of three young women, crimes so horrifying they were livestreamed on social media. The victims, 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez, and cousins Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, both 20, were lured into a van on 19 September under the guise of attending a party.
Instead, investigators say they were kidnapped and tortured by a drug-trafficking gang, accused of breaking gang codes. Their ordeal was filmed and broadcast online as a chilling warning to others. Five suspects three men and two women have been arrested, but authorities continue to search for a 20-year-old Peruvian man believed to be the ringleader.
The bodies of the three victims were discovered buried in a Buenos Aires suburb five days after their disappearance. The brutality was so severe that Brenda’s father, Leonel del Castillo, told reporters he could not recognize his daughter. “Women must be protected more than ever,” he said during a protest march. Her grandfather, Antonio del Castillo, broke down in tears, calling the killers “bloodthirsty” and declaring, “You wouldn’t do what they did to them to an animal.”
The killings have triggered widespread outrage and grief across the nation. On Saturday, thousands gathered in Buenos Aires to demand justice and stronger protections for women, marching to Parliament in a show of solidarity with the victims’ families.
Argentina faces a growing crisis of gender-based violence. A femicide monitoring group reports that a woman is killed by a man every 36 hours in the country. Campaigners argue that despite laws and initiatives, enforcement remains weak, leaving women vulnerable.
As authorities intensify their hunt for the alleged mastermind, the murders of Lara, Morena, and Brenda have become a rallying cry. Protesters are demanding urgent action, insisting the country can no longer tolerate such acts of violence against women.
