Brutal Murders of Three Argentine Women by Drug Gang Sparks National Outrage and Demands for Justice

Five individuals have been detained so far in connection with the crimes.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Buenos Aires on Saturday, marching for justice following the horrific torture and murders of three young women that were reportedly broadcast live on social media, sending shockwaves throughout Argentina.

Family members of the victims held a banner displaying their names — "Lara, Brenda, Morena" — while carrying images of their loved ones as they proceeded toward Parliament accompanied by supporters.

Protesters carrying signs reading "It was a narco-feminicide!" and "Our lives are not disposable!" beat drums during the march organized by a feminist collective.

The bodies of cousins Morena Verdi and Brenda del Castillo, both 20 years old, along with 15-year-old Lara Gutierrez, were discovered buried Wednesday in the yard of a residence in a southern Buenos Aires suburb, five days after their disappearance.

Officials linked the crime to drug gangs, stating it was perpetrated live on Instagram and viewed by 45 members of a private account.

"Women must be protected more than ever," stated Brenda's father, Leonel del Castillo, while speaking to reporters at the demonstration. He had previously mentioned being unable to identify his daughter's remains due to the extent of abuse she had suffered.

Antonio del Castillo, grandfather of the 20-year-old cousins, tearfully described the killers as "bloodthirsty."

"You wouldn't do what they did to them to an animal," he expressed.

"I have hope that the truth will be revealed," he added. "I ask people to stand with us."

On Friday, National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich announced the apprehension of a fifth suspect, bringing the total to three men and two women.

This fifth suspect, accused of providing logistical support with a vehicle, was arrested in Villazon, a city on the Bolivian border.

Authorities have released a photograph of the alleged mastermind behind the plot, a 20-year-old Peruvian national, who remains at large.

Investigators indicated the victims, believing they were attending a party, were lured into a van on September 19 allegedly as part of a scheme to "punish" them for violating gang rules and to serve as a warning to others.

Police discovered the video after one of the detainees revealed its existence during questioning, according to Javier Alonso, security minister for Buenos Aires province.

In the footage, a gang leader is heard declaring: "This is what happens to those who steal drugs from me."

Argentine media reported that the perpetrators cut off fingers, extracted nails, beat and suffocated the victims.

Meta, Instagram's parent company, disputed claims that the livestream occurred on their 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.

Federico Celebon, a cousin of Brenda and Morena, told AFP the young women had sometimes engaged in sex work "to survive," without their families' knowledge.

They had "bad luck" to "find themselves at the wrong time with the wrong people," he stated.

Several media outlets reported that the women had been invited to the party as prostitutes.

Yamila Alegre, a 35-year-old leatherworker attending the march on Saturday, criticized media coverage of the case.

"We always try to make the girls feel guilty, we know everything about their lives, what they were doing there, what their family is like... we publish their photos but we know nothing about the perpetrators, not their names, their faces are blurred," she remarked.

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 insisted.

"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!" she told AFP.