Murder of Colombian model shocked: Femicide debate sparked

Murder of Colombian model shocked: Femicide debate sparked

The murder of a 22-year-old model and influencer in Colombia caused horror in the country and parallels to the murder of a Mexican influencer last week. This illustrates the alarming female female rates in Latin America.

The murder case Maria Jose Estupinan

Maria Jose Estupinan, a student from the northeastern Colombian city of Cucuta, which is located near the border with Venezuela, was murdered on May 15. This was shared by the President of the National Gender Commission of the Colombian Justice, Magda Victoria Acosta, at a press conference.

According to Acosta, the suspect was shot in her home as a delivery driver, when she opened the door. "She was a young, enterprising woman with a whole future. Her dreams like the many women in this country were suddenly ended," said Acosta.

background and investigation

estupinan had previously been the victim of a case of domestic violence and was about to receive compensation for it. The Commission sentenced the crime "very clearly" and promised to work for justice. The authorities have started the investigation into the murder; CNN has contacted the Colombian national police and the public prosecutor to receive further information.

comparison with the murder of Valeria Marquez

The reporting on the case has spread quickly, both in the local media and on social networks, with many comparing the murder of Estupinan with the fatal shootout of the 23-year-old beauty influenza Valeria Marquez on May 13th in Mexico. Marquez was shot by a male intruder in a salon during a livestream.

civil servants in the Mexican state of Jalisco explained that they examined Marquez 'death as a suspected female - a murder of a woman or a girl for gender reasons. In 2020, 25 % of the murder cases of women in Mexico were viewed as female, with cases reporting in all 32 states of the country, such as Amnesty International

The reality of gender violence in Colombia

Although Acosta did not confirm whether Estupinan's death is classified as a female, the crime illustrates the extent of violence against women in Colombia. Gender-based violence is widespread in the country, also by armed groups, according to the organization Human Rights Watch . Survivors are faced with many obstacles when they are looking for help or justice, and the perpetrators are rarely held accountable, as is recorded in the World Report 2024 of the organization.

statistics on the women's rights situation in Colombia

The National Gender Commission of Colombia has registered thousands of cases of gender and domestic violence, including high rates of sexual violence, neglect, abandonment and psychological violence, said Acosta. Between January and August of last year, around 41 women in Colombia were reported missing - including 34 from Cucuta, the place of residence Estupinans. Many of the missing women were minors.

The situation in northeast columbia

The north-eastern part of Colombia has been in the past few months