Brutal killings of young women leave Argentina in shock and anger

Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Buenos Aires in a powerful anti-femicide protest, demanding justice for the horrific murders of a 15-year-old girl and two young women. The victims, identified as Lara Gutierrez, Morena Verdi, and Brenda del Castillo, were brutally tortured and killed in a crime that has sent shockwaves across Argentina. The gruesome act was allegedly livestreamed on social media by a drug-trafficking gang, purportedly as a warning to others. Authorities have arrested five suspects, including three men and two women, but the alleged ringleader, a 20-year-old Peruvian man, remains at large. The victims were reportedly lured into a van on September 19 under the pretense of attending a party, only to be subjected to a calculated act of violence for violating gang codes. A chilling video, discovered after one of the detainees disclosed its existence, features a gang leader stating, ‘This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me.’ The bodies of the victims were found buried in a suburban Buenos Aires yard five days after their disappearance. The protest, organized by human rights groups under the slogan ‘There are no good or bad victims, only femicide,’ saw emotional pleas from the victims’ families. Brenda’s father, Leonel del Castillo, emphasized the urgent need for greater protection for women, while her grandfather, Antonio del Castillo, condemned the perpetrators as ‘bloodthirsty.’ Argentina, where a woman is killed by a man every 36 hours, continues to grapple with the pervasive issue of gender-based violence.