The killing of 22-year-old Colombian model and social media influencer Maria Jose Estupinan has reignited national outrage over violence against women, just days after a similar tragedy involving a Mexican influencer was broadcast live. The two back-to-back murders have drawn attention to the persistent and alarming rates of femicide across Latin America.
Estupinan, a university student from the city of Cucuta near Colombia’s northeastern border with Venezuela, was shot and killed in her own home on May 15. According to Magda Victoria Acosta, president of the National Gender Commission of the Colombian Judiciary, the suspected attacker disguised himself as a delivery driver before shooting Estupinan as she opened her door.
“She was a young, ambitious woman with her whole life ahead of her, but her dreams—like those of so many women in this country—have been cruelly ended,” Acosta told reporters. She added that Estupinan had previously been the victim of domestic violence and was about to receive compensation for her case. The Gender Commission condemned the crime and pledged to push for justice.
Estupinan’s vibrant life was documented on her Facebook page, with images of her travels to New York and California and moments at the pool or gym. Police are reviewing surveillance video from outside her home, which reportedly shows a man fleeing the scene at the time of the murder.
Colonel William Quintero, chief of Cucuta’s Metropolitan Police, confirmed that the suspect had made previous threats against Estupinan and was the subject of formal complaints. “We are taking all urgent actions to determine exactly what happened and to ensure those responsible are brought to justice,” Quintero told local media.
The murder quickly became a national headline, drawing comparisons to the recent killing of Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, who was shot during a live-streamed event at a salon. Authorities in Jalisco, Mexico, are treating Marquez’s case as a suspected femicide, though no theory has been ruled out.
Femicide, defined as the gender-based killing of women or girls, remains a serious and under-reported problem in the region. In Mexico, one in four killings of women in 2020 was classified as femicide, according to Amnesty International. In Colombia, Acosta said that violence against women is widespread and takes many forms, from sexual assault to psychological abuse and abandonment. Survivors often face obstacles in seeking help, and perpetrators frequently go unpunished.
The National Gender Commission has documented thousands of cases of gender-based violence, with particularly high numbers of missing women and girls. Between January and August last year, 41 women were reported missing in Colombia, with 34 of those cases occurring in Cucuta alone. Many of the victims were minors.
The region’s volatility is further exacerbated by ongoing conflict. Northeast Colombia has recently seen escalating violence between armed groups, causing mass displacement—tens of thousands of people were forced to flee the Catatumbo region earlier this year, many seeking refuge in Cucuta. The Colombian government has since deployed thousands of soldiers and special forces to the area.
