Thousands of people have taken part in an anti-femicide protest in Buenos Aires, demanding justice for a girl and two young women who were tortured and murdered in a crime that has shocked Argentina.
The brutal killings of 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez and the 20-year-old cousins Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo were livestreamed on social media, gruesomely revealing the extent of the violence.
Authorities believe a drug-trafficking gang was involved, with the acts displayed as a warning to others. Police have arrested five suspects—three men and two women—while the alleged gang leader, a 20-year-old Peruvian man, remains at large.
Investigators revealed that the victims were lured under the false pretense of attending a party on September 19, as part of a plan to "punish" them for violating gang code.
Authorities discovered evidence, including a video where a gang leader warned of severe consequences for those who crossed their path. Tragically, the bodies of the three young women were located buried in a yard of a house in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires, merely five days after they had gone missing.
Following these gruesome events, protests erupted across the nation. Relatives and supporters march to Parliament, demanding justice and urgent measures to protect women. Echoing the pain of families, Brenda's father lamented the violence, asserting that victims deserve better treatment and safety.
The statistics paint a troubling picture of violence against women in Argentina: on average, a woman is killed by a man every 36 hours, prompting renewed calls for government action and societal change.
