Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Buenos Aires on Saturday, demanding justice for three young women who were tortured and murdered in a crime reportedly live-streamed on social media, a case that has deeply shocked Argentina.
According to media reports, relatives of the victims led the march to Parliament, holding a banner with their names, “Lara, Brenda, Morena”, and placards bearing their photographs. Crowds of supporters joined them, many of whom carried signs and beat drums in a rally organised by a feminist group.
Placards read slogans such as “It was a narco-feminicide!” and “Our lives are not disposable!” in reference to the brutal killing of Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, cousins aged 20 and 15-year-old Lara Gutiérrez. Their bodies were discovered on Wednesday, buried in the yard of a house in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires, five days after they were reported missing.
Authorities have linked the crime to drug gangs. Investigators said the killings were broadcast live on Instagram, viewed by 45 followers of a private account.
“Women must be protected more than ever,” said Leonel del Castillo, Brenda’s father, speaking to reporters at the protest. He earlier revealed that he had been unable to recognise his daughter’s body due to the extent of the abuse she had suffered.
Antonio del Castillo, grandfather of the two 20-year-old cousins, was overcome with emotion at the march, describing the killers as “bloodthirsty.”
“You wouldn’t do what they did to them to an animal,” he said, adding, “I have hope that the truth will be revealed. I ask people to stand with us,” he added.
On Friday, National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich confirmed the arrest of a fifth suspect, bringing the total to three men and two women. The latest suspect, believed to have provided logistical support with a vehicle, was detained in the Bolivian border city of Villazón.
Authorities have also released a photo of the alleged ringleader, a 20-year-old Peruvian man, who remains at large. Investigators believe the victims were lured into a van on 19 September under the pretext of attending a party. Officials say the true motive was to punish them for allegedly breaking gang rules, serving as a warning to others.
According to Javier Alonso, Security Minister for Buenos Aires province, the video came to light after one of the detained suspects revealed its existence during interrogation.
In the footage, a gang leader is heard declaring, “This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me.”
Reports in Argentine media describe horrific acts of torture, including beatings, suffocation, removal of fingernails, and the cutting off of fingers.
Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has denied that the livestream occurred on its platform.
“We have not found any evidence of the livestream taking place on Instagram. Our team continues to cooperate with law enforcement as they investigate this horrific crime,” a spokesperson told AFP.
Federico Celebon, a cousin of Brenda and Morena, told AFP that the women had at times engaged in sex work to survive, unbeknownst to their families. They had, he said, the “bad luck” to be “in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people.”
Several media outlets have reported that the women were invited to the gathering under the false pretence of attending a party, but were instead expected to work as prostitutes.
Yamila Alegre, a 35-year-old leatherworker who joined the march, criticised the media’s portrayal of the victims.
“We always try to make the girls feel guilty. We know everything about their lives, what they were doing there, what their family is like… we publish their photos, but we know nothing about the perpetrators, not their names, their faces are blurred,” she said.
Del Valle Galván, Lara’s aunt, strongly denied claims that the 15-year-old had any connection to drugs or prostitution.
“There is poverty in our neighbourhood, but what people say about Lara is false,” she said, adding, “We want justice to be done, for nothing to be covered up, for the whole truth to come out so that those responsible can be held accountable for their actions. We are not afraid!”