Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Buenos Aires to demand justice for two young women and a teen girl whose torture and murders were live-streamed on social media, in a case that has shocked Argentina. The victims, Lara, Brenda, and Morena, were found buried in the yard of a house in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires, five days after they went missing. The crime, which investigators tied to drug gangs, was perpetrated live on Instagram and watched by 45 members of a private account, officials said.
Protests and Demands for Justice
The victims’ relatives held a banner with their names and placards with their images, flanked by supporters as they marched to Parliament. “It was a narco-feminicide!” “Our lives are not disposable!” read signs and banners as protesters banged on drums at the march, organized by a feminist group. The protesters are demanding justice and an end to violence against women, with many calling for greater protection and support for victims of femicide.
Antonio del Castillo, grandfather of the slain 20-year-old cousins, was in tears, calling the killers “bloodthirsty.” “You wouldn’t do what they did to them to an animal,” he said. “I have hope that the truth will be revealed,” he added. “I ask people to stand with us.” The family and supporters are seeking answers and demanding that those responsible be held accountable for their actions.
“Bloodthirsty” Killers and the Investigation
On Friday, National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich announced the arrest of a fifth suspect, bringing the total to three men and two women. The fifth suspect, accused of providing logistical support with a car, was arrested in the Bolivian border city of Villazon. Authorities have released a photograph of the plot’s alleged mastermind, a 20-year-old Peruvian, who remains at large.
Investigators said the victims, thinking they were going to a party, were lured into a van on September 19 allegedly as part of a plan to “punish” them for violating gang code and serving as a warning to others. Police discovered the video after one of the detainees revealed it under questioning, according to Javier Alonso, security minister for Buenos Aires province. In the footage, a gang leader is heard saying: “This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me.”
Argentine media reported the torturers cut off fingers, pulled out nails, beat and suffocated the victims. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, disputed 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.
Femicide Epidemic in Argentina
The European Institute for Gender Equality says femicide “is deeply rooted in and a manifestation of power imbalances in society, which promotes an unequal status for men and women.” One woman is killed by a man every 36 hours in Argentina, according to a femicide monitoring group in the country, according to BBC News. Femicide was added to Argentina’s penal code as an aggravating factor of homicides in 2012, and is punishable with life imprisonment, according to the Guardian.
However, earlier this year, Argentine President Javier Milei said he wanted to remove the concept of “femicide” from the country’s penal code, the Council on Foreign Relations reported. Milei had argued that femicide promotes the idea that “…the life of a woman is worth more than that of a man.” The move has been met with widespread criticism and outrage, with many arguing that it would undermine efforts to combat violence against women.
Del Valle Galvan, Lara’s aunt, denied that the 15-year-old was involved with drugs or prostitution. “There is poverty in our neighborhood, but what people say about Lara is false,” she said. “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!”
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