The torture and murder of two young women and a teenage girl, whose live stream was broadcast on social media to dozens of viewers, have caused shock in Argentina and sparked protests across the country, UNN reports, citing CNN.
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This weekend, thousands of people took to the streets demanding justice for the three victims — cousins Morena Verri and Brenda del Castillo, both 20, and Lara Gutierrez, 15 — whose bodies were found buried in a Buenos Aires suburb on Wednesday.
Investigators believe they were killed five days earlier after a confrontation with drug cartels. According to Buenos Aires Province Security Minister Javier Alonso, their torture and murder were live-streamed in a closed social media group, where about 45 people saw them.
Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof said on Monday that six people had been taken into custody, calling the case a "narco-femicide." He added that investigators were still looking for six more suspects.
Authorities believe the women were lured to a house in Florencio Varela, about 25 kilometers south of the Argentine capital, thinking they were going to a party. However, once there, they were accused of stealing drugs.
In the video of their murder, a voice, apparently a gang member, can be heard saying, "This is what happens to anyone who steals drugs from me."
Alonso did not rule out that the victims had previously encountered drug traffickers and that the murders were motivated by "revenge," but added that police were still trying to establish the details of that encounter.
While police continue to investigate the motives, feminist organizations are using these deaths as evidence of the country's problems with gender-based violence. Many banners at this week's protests featured slogans such as "Stop killing us" and "Not one more."
According to Casa del Encuentro, a civil organization that defends women's rights, 164 women were killed in Argentina in the first eight months of 2025.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the mothers of the three women demanded justice.