The femicide of 22-year-old Colombian student, model, and influencer María José Estupiñán has sparked widespread outrage in a country already plagued by violence against women.
Estupiñán had previously reported her ex-partner for domestic violence, according to the Guardian, and just one day before her death, a judge reportedly ruled in her favor, ordering the perpetrator to compensate Estupiñán with approximately $1,554.
Alejandra Vera, director of the feminist collective “Woman, Speak Out and Move it,” said that the murder was “preventable,” but that “the state fails to act.”
With 886 recorded femicides in 2024, the country reached a historic seven-year high, and by March 2025, 207 had already been recorded.
At least 3,897 femicides (11 per day) were reported in 2023 in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a recent study.
According to “Woman, Speak Out and Move It,” the police lack personnel and resources, prosecutors are not trained to investigate gender-based violence, and repeat offenders are not monitored.
Human Rights Watch has previously warned that gender-based violence in Colombia is “widespread” and that perpetrators “rarely face punishment,” with 73% of femicides (2021-2023) remaining unsolved.
Women’s rights activists are now calling for marches in cities across Colombia, including the capital Bogotá, to demand justice for Estupiñán.
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