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.
As of Friday, five suspects—three men and two women—had been arrested according to National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, but a 20-year-old Peruvian man identified as the group's leader remains at large.
The victims were reportedly lured into a van under the pretense of attending a party on September 19. However, authorities revealed it was part of a plan to 'punish' them for violating gang code, sending a disturbing message to others.
One of the detainees disclosed a video of the incident during questioning, where a gang leader was heard saying: 'This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me.'
The bodies of the three victims were discovered buried in a southern suburb of Buenos Aires five days after they were reported missing.
In Buenos Aires, relatives of the victims joined a march to Parliament on Saturday, insisting on justice for the women and the girl. Brenda's father, Leonel del Castillo, emphasized the need for heightened protection for women, lamenting the abuse inflicted on his daughter to the point where he could not recognize her body.
One alarming statistic reflects the ongoing crisis: a woman is killed by a man every 36 hours in Argentina, as reported by a femicide monitoring group.
