Protests Erupt in Argentina After Brutal Narco-Femicide Case

Author: Vera Rousseff

September 30, 2025

HRRC stands with the people of Argentina as they demand justice for the murder of Morena Verdi, Brenda del Castillo, and Lara Gutierrez. The Argentinian government, with the support of the international community, has a responsibility to protect vulnerable neighborhoods from drug-related crime and to defend women from gender-based violence.

Protesters in Buenos Aires on Saturday denounce the killings of Morena Verdi, Brenda del Castillo, and Lara Gutierrez, by suspected members of a drug gang. [Image source: Luis Robayo/AFP]

On Saturday, thousands of Argentinians took to the streets of Buenos Aires to demand justice for three young women who were brutally murdered by a purported drug gang. The details of the killings shocked the country after it was discovered that the torture and murder of the women was livestreamed on Instagram. 

Last Wednesday, three bodies were found buried in a yard in a suburb of Buenos Aires. They were identified as 20-year-old cousins Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo and 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez. The three women had gone missing five days prior, when they were reportedly lured into a van. Officials believe that drug gangs killed the women on livestream in order to punish them for allegedly stealing drugs and to send a warning message to other gang members.

As of Friday, five suspects have been arrested, but officials say that the leader of the group—a 20-year-old Peruvian man—remains at large.

Saturday’s protests were largely peaceful, with demonstrators marching toward the Argentinian parliament holding signs with the word “justice” and the names and photos of the three women. Protesters also accused libertarian President Javier Milei of not taking sufficient action against rising drug-related criminal activity in the country.

Argentina typically experiences less narco-related violence compared to other countries in Latin America, such as Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador. However, some Argentinians regard this murder case as evidence that drug-related crime is increasing. Germán de los Santos, an investigative journalist who covers organized crime, stated that, “When narcos use this level of cruelty—not attacking each other or the police but targeting vulnerable victims—it means that something is changing and that criminal leaders are trying to show off their power, which is very worrying.”

Community leaders in Buenos Aires have been warning of the growing influence of crime organizations in the poorer neighborhoods of the capital. They claim that the groups are taking advantage of increased poverty and cuts to public services as a result of President Milei’s austerity measures. Unemployment, economic instability, and a lack of social services make young people particularly vulnerable to recruitment by gangs. As one activist said, “Without any resources, it’s very difficult to compete with what the narcos are offering.”

In addition to narco-related violence, the murder of the three women highlights a second form of violence that has become an important issue in Latin America—femicide (i.e. the killing of a woman or girl on account of her gender). A United Nations press release from 2024 stated that at least 11 women are victims of femicide every day in Latin America and the Caribbean. Although many countries in the region have enacted laws aimed at reducing violence against women, and activists are working hard to address the problem, this form of violence remains an urgent problem in numerous Latin American countries.

Argentina has played a particularly important role in the fight against gender-based violence in the region. In 2015, tens of thousands of women in Argentina took to the streets in protest over the brutal murder of 14-year-old Chiara Páez. The protests sparked a movement that came to be known as Ni Una Menos (“Not One Less”), which quickly expanded to other Latin American countries.

Last weekend’s protest over the murders of Morena Verdi, Brenda del Castillo, and Lara Gutierrez emphasizes the enduring need to address narco-related violence and femicide in Argentina. As Brenda’s father, Leonel del Castillo, told reporters during the protest, “Women must be protected more than ever.” 

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Glossary

• Austerity measures: government policies that cut public spending (like reducing social services or jobs) in order to save money.

• Cuts to public services: reductions in government programs like healthcare, education, or welfare that people rely on.

• Enacted: officially made into law or put into action.

• Enduring: lasting for a long time; continuing without stopping.

• Gang recruitment: the process by which criminal groups try to convince or force new members, often young people, to join them.

• Gender-based violence: harmful acts directed at someone because of their gender, such as violence against women because they are women.

• Libertarian: a political belief that supports less government control and more personal and economic freedom.

• Livestream: a live broadcast of video over the internet in real time.

• Narco / narco-related violence: short for narcotics (illegal drugs); refers to violence connected to drug trafficking and drug gangs.

• Narco-femicide: the killing of women or girls linked to drug trafficking or drug gangs.

• Parliament: the main lawmaking body of a country.

• Purported: claimed to be true, but not proven.

• Social services: government or community programs that provide help to people, such as healthcare, housing, or food assistance.