Argentina: Thousands march for women murdered on livestream
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Brutal killings of young women leave Argentina in shock and anger
Brutal killings of young women leave Argentina in shock and anger. Police believe a drug-trafficking gang was responsible, and that the crime was broadcast as a warning to others. The bodies of the three victims were found buried at a property in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires on Wednesday. In it, a gang leader is heard saying: “This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me”
2 hours ago Share Save Stuart Lau Share Save
Watch: Thousands march in Argentina over murder of girl and two young women
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 Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, who were both 20, were livestreamed on social media. Police believe a drug-trafficking gang was responsible, and that the crime was broadcast as a warning to others. They had arrested five suspects – three men and two women – as of Friday, according to National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, but a 20-year-old Peruvian man they say is the group’s leader remains at large.
The victims were lured into a van believing they were headed for a party on 19 September, according to investigators. But authorities said this was part of a plan to “punish” the girl and young women for violating gang code, serving as a warning to others. One of the detainees revealed a video of the incident under questioning, according to Javier Alonso, security minister for the Buenos Aires province. In it, a gang leader is heard saying: “This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me.” Authorities have released a photograph of the alleged Peruvian mastermind in the hope he is recognised. The bodies of the three victims were found buried at a property in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires on Wednesday, five days after they went missing.
AFP via Getty Images Relatives and friends attend a demonstration called by rights groups under the banner: “There are no good or bad victims, only femicide”
Argentina: Thousands march for women murdered on livestream – DW – 09
Argentina shocked by murder of three young women who were tortured live on social media. Five suspects detained but alleged mastermind behind the killings is still at large. Thousands of protesters gathered in Buenos Aires on Saturday to call for justice for the victims. Instagram disputed that the murders were livestreamed on its platform. The women got on a van on September 19, believing they were heading to an event, according to investigators. It was meant to “punish” them for breaking gang rules and send a “warning” message to the rest of the gang, police say.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, on Saturday to call for justice for three young women whose torture and murders were broadcast live on social media.
Some demonstrators held placards with the names and pictures of the victims — Morena Verdi and Brenda Del Castillo, cousins aged 20, and 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez. One sign read “It was a narco-feminicide!”
“Women must be protected more than ever,” said Del Castillo’s father, Leonel, at the protest.
Morena Verdi was one of the three women who was murdered in a case that has rocked Argentina Image: Luis Robayo/AFP
He had earlier shared that he had not been able to identify his daughter’s body due to the extent of the abuse.
Antonio del Castillo, grandfather of the murdered cousins, called the perpetrators “bloodthirsty,” adding that “you wouldn’t do what they did to them to an animal.”
What do we know about the victims of livestreamed femicide?
On Wednesday, the bodies of the three women were found buried in the yard of a house in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires, five days after they had disappeared.
The women got on a van on September 19, believing they were heading to an event, according to investigators.
Officials said that the triple femicide, which investigators tied to drug gangs, was broadcast live on a private account and watched by 45 members.
The Ni Una Menos (Not One Less) organization had called for the demonstration under the slogan ‘There are no good or bad victims, only femicides’ Image: Luis Robayo/AFP
It was meant to “punish” them for breaking gang rules and send a “warning” message to the rest of the gang.
During the livestream, a gang leader is heard saying: “This is what happens to those who steal my drugs.”
Police detain 5 suspects
A fifth suspect was arrested on Friday in the Bolivian border city of Villazon following joint efforts by the police forces of both countries, bringing the total to three men and two women.
The alleged mastermind, a 20-year-old Peruvian, remains at large.
Meanwhile, Instagram’s parent company Meta disputed that the murders were livestreamed 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 the AFP news agency.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
Thousands protest livestreamed murder of 2 women, young girl in Argentina
Drug gang suspected in torture and murder of two young women, and a 15-year-old girl, in crime that shocks Argentina. Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Saturday to denounce the killings that shocked Argentinians. Police discovered a video of the triple murder after a suspect in the disappearance of the three revealed it under questioning. The bodies of Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, cousins aged 20, and Lara Gutierrez were found buried on Wednesday in the yard of a house in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires, five days after they went missing.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 to serve as a warning to others.
Clashes have erupted between demonstrators and police as thousands protested in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, to demand justice over the torture and killing of two young women and a teenager, which was livestreamed on social media by a purported drug gang.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Saturday to denounce the killings that shocked Argentinians after it was revealed that the murders were perpetrated live on the Instagram platform and watched by 45 members of a private account, officials said.
The bodies of Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, cousins aged 20, and 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez were found buried on Wednesday in the yard of a house in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires, five days after they went missing.
Advertisement
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 to serve as a warning to others.
Police discovered a video of the triple murder after a suspect in the disappearance of the three revealed it under questioning, according to Javier Alonso, the security minister for the Buenos Aires province.
In the footage, a gang leader is heard saying: “This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me.”
Advertisement
Argentinian media reported that the torturers cut off fingers, pulled out nails, and beat and suffocated the victims.
While most of the protesters who took part in the demonstration on Saturday marched peacefully, some confronted police who responded by aggressively pushing them away using their batons and shields, according to video clips and images posted by the La Izquierda Diario online news site.
As they marched towards the Argentinian parliament with thousands of supporters, family members of the victims held a banner with their names, “Lara, Brenda, Morena”, and placards with the images of the three.
“Women must be protected more than ever,” Brenda’s father, Leonel del Castillo, was quoted by the AFP news agency as telling reporters at the protest. He had earlier said he had not been able to identify his daughter’s body due to the torture she had endured.
“It was a narco-femicide!” read a sign at the protest. Another declared, “Our lives are not disposable!”
The protesters also banged on drums as they marched and denounced the “inaction” of the administration of President Javier Milei against what they called the growing “narco” influence in the country.
Advertisement
An image posted on social media showed protesters burning an image of Milei and other political allies of his administration.
Antonio del Castillo, the grandfather of the slain 20-year-old cousins, was in tears, calling his granddaughters’ killers “bloodthirsty”.
“You wouldn’t do what they did to them to an animal,” he said.
On Friday, Minister of National Security Patricia Bullrich announced the arrest of a fifth suspect in the case, bringing the total to three men and two women. The fifth suspect, accused of offering logistical support in the killing by providing a vehicle involved in the crime, was arrested in the Bolivian border city of Villazon .
Authorities have also released a photograph of the alleged mastermind, a 20-year-old Peruvian, who remains at large.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has disputed that the livestream occurred on its platform, according to the AFP, citing a company spokesperson.
Thousands march in Argentina over livestreamed murders of three women
Argentina in shock after three young women were abducted, tortured, and murdered by a drug cartel. The entire ordeal was broadcast to a private group of 45 viewers on Instagram. The killings have reignited nationwide protests, with feminist and human rights groups demanding accountability and an end to gender-based violence. The case has also drawn criticism of President Javier Milei’s administration.
Thousands of Argentinians took to the streets of Buenos Aires on Saturday to demand justice for three young women whose brutal murders were livestreamed on Instagram. The victims Brenda del Castillo (20), Morena Verdi (21), and Lara Gutiérrez (15) were abducted, tortured, raped, and executed by a drug cartel after mistakenly entering a vehicle they believed was offering a ride to a party. The entire ordeal was broadcast to a private group of 45 viewers on Instagram, amplifying the horror and public outrage.
The crime, described by authorities as a “narco-revenge” act, was allegedly in retaliation for the theft of cocaine. The victims’ bodies were discovered buried in a garden in Florencio Varela, a southern suburb of Buenos Aires. The gang’s leader, a Peruvian national, remains at large, while four individuals have been arrested in connection with the murders.
The killings have reignited nationwide protests, with feminist and human rights groups demanding accountability and an end to gender-based violence.
The Ni Una Menos movement, which has been at the forefront of advocating for women’s rights in Argentina, has been instrumental in mobilizing these demonstrations. Wikipedia
The case has also drawn criticism of President Javier Milei’s administration, with activists and church leaders highlighting how growing poverty and cuts to social programs are leaving communities vulnerable to organized crime. The Guardian
As the investigation continues and the public outcry intensifies, the demand for justice and systemic change in Argentina grows louder.
Ten years of Ni Una Menos: How one tweet led to a global phenomenon
Ni Una Menos is a movement calling for an end to femicides in Argentina. The phrase was popularized ten years ago following a massive protest. The movement will march in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, June 4. So far in 2025, there have been 108 femicides; the lowest number in the past decade was 254 in 2022. The number of femicides has stayed relatively constant for the past ten years. The Supreme Court has turned the issue into an institutional concern and turned it into an issue of concern for the public. The Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood has shown support for the cause. For many young women, the cause became their entrance door to feminism. For more information on Ni Una menos, visit www.ni-menos.org.uk. In the U.S. and Europe, visit the National Coalition of Femicides. For confidential support on suicide matters call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
The line was popularized ten years ago following a massive protest. On June 3, 2015, the first Ni una menos march saw around 200,000 people flood the streets of Buenos Aires — and thousands more in other cities — to demand an end to femicides after a grim series of murders of young women at the hands of men, often their partners.
Although the march became an annual tradition, things are shifting a bit in 2025. In order to join forces with other causes protesting different government decisions, the movement will march in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, June 4. The idea is to protest alongside pensioners as well as workers from the Garrahan children’s hospital, scientists, and teachers from public universities, among others. Protesters will gather outside of Congress at 4 p.m.
The history of Ni Una Menos
What started out as a march became a movement that transcended country borders. Two years before #MeToo went viral in the United States, many other countries in the region and beyond replicated the Ni una menos rally.
In Argentina, the cause brought in more coverage of femicides and gender-based violence and opened discussions in media outlets, Congress, schools, and the family dinner table. For many young women, the cause became their entrance door to feminism.
“There was a brutal change in the collective worldview,” said journalist Hinde Pomeraniec, who was part of the seminal group of women that organized the first march and gave a name to the movement.
The spark that birthed the movement was the brutal femicide of Chiara Páez, 14, which made national headlines on May 10, 2015. Manuel Mansilla, her 16-year-old boyfriend, beat her to death after learning she was pregnant and refused to have an abortion. She was found buried in the Mansilla family’s home garden.
The murder was seen as the last straw of a wave of brutal violence against women. On May 11, radio reporter Marcela Ojeda made a post on the social media platform Twitter (now X) calling for all women to speak out: “Are we not going to raise our voices? THEY ARE KILLING US.”
A group of women, including Pomeraniec, replied to Ojeda’s tweet with ideas of how to make the cause more visible. And it snowballed from there.
“There was a collective scream, but it was muffled. That scream exploded that day,” Pomeraniec told the Herald. “Those crimes of very young girls made people think, ‘this could be my own daughter.’ It made them take consciousness.”
An artistic performance during the 2024 Ni Una Menos march. Credit for this image and cover photo: Mariano Fuchila
Ojeda, Pomeraniec, and other journalists began discussing the possibility of a march. Pomeraniec had recently participated in an event protesting femicides that had been advertised under the name Ni Una Menos. The journalists and the event organizers teamed up to do the march together.
The name came during a brainstorming session in which Pomeraniec pointed to the event she had taken part of: “Why pick a new name? We already have one.”
The phrase Ni Una Menos is believed to have been originally coined by Mexican poet Susana Chávez, who was murdered by gang members in Ciudad Juárez in 2011.
The group of around 20 women started preparing a march to make their protest visible. They picked a date, asked for city permits and security, hired a stage service, and called three public figures to read the text they had worked on: actress Erica Rivas, actor Juan Minujin, and cartoonist Maitena.
According to a report based on media coverage of femicides by the Ahora Que Sí Nos Ven observatory, there have been 2,827 femicides in Argentina between June 3, 2015 and May 25, 2025. This means there has been a femicide victim every 31 hours. So far, in 2025 there have been 108 femicides. The lowest number over the past decade was 254 in 2022, and the highest was 327 in 2019.
Although the annual femicide number has stayed relatively constant for the past decade, the issue has gained attention and turned into an institutional concern. The Supreme Court has created an observatory that provides official numbers of femicides. Policies against gender-based violence have significantly increased, such as the economic and psychological assistance program for victims Acompañar, the Brisa law to assist children of femicide victims, or the Micaela law to train public officials in issues related to violence against women.
The Alberto Fernandez administration (2019-2023) created a Women, Gender, and Diversity Ministry focusing on these demands. It was eliminated by President Javier Milei, who also defunded several of its policies.
According to Pomeraniec, the Ni Una Menos demands crossed “many sectors that many felt it was time to take to the streets.”
“People from all social backgrounds, genders, and ideologies came out to the streets to say ‘No more femicides,’” she explained, adding that the protest helped overturn violent practices that were seen as natural.
“Today, kids grow up knowing it’s not normal nor okay for their fathers to beat up their moms or sisters.”