Murder of Colombian Model Sparks National Outrage, Renewed Calls for Action on Femicide

 CÚCUTA, COLOMBIA | — The murder of 22-year-old María José Estupiñán, a Colombian model, influencer, and university student, has ignited widespread public outrage and renewed scrutiny over the country’s systemic failure to protect women from gender-based violence. Authorities are now investigating her killing as a possible femicide, a gender-motivated crime that remains alarmingly prevalent across Colombia.

Estupiñán was fatally shot at the doorstep of her home in Cúcuta on May 15 by an assailant disguised as a delivery courier. Security camera footage reportedly shows the suspect fleeing the scene moments after the attack. According to police officials, early findings suggest that Estupiñán had previously been the target of domestic violence, and that her murder may be linked to a former partner.

“She was a young, entrepreneurial woman with her entire life ahead of her. Her dreams, like those of so many women in this country, have been violently cut short,” said Magda Victoria Acosta, president of the National Gender Commission of the Colombian Judiciary.

Investigations reveal that Estupiñán had filed multiple complaints of domestic abuse in recent years. Just one day before her death, a judge had ruled in her favor, ordering her abuser to pay financial compensation totaling 30 million Colombian pesos (approximately USD $1,550).

For many activists, her death is a tragic and preventable outcome of state inaction.

“The brutal murder of María José is the direct result of a system that continues to normalize violence against women,” said Alejandra Vera, director of Woman, Speak Out and Move It, a feminist advocacy organization based in Cúcuta. “Colombia is facing a pandemic of femicides—every 28 hours, a woman is killed. These are not isolated crimes; they reflect a disturbing pattern of impunity and institutional negligence.”

According to Vera, Estupiñán did everything the law requires: she reported the abuse, provided evidence, and sought legal protection. “And yet the state let her die,” she said. “There are no effective restraining orders, no reliable monitoring of abusers, and a severe lack of shelters or support services. Women are being left entirely vulnerable—and perpetrators know this.”

While Colombia has legal frameworks intended to address gender-based violence, enforcement remains critically deficient. Advocacy groups report chronic understaffing in police units, inadequate training for prosecutors on handling gender crimes, and a failure to track repeat offenders. Between 2021 and 2023, 73% of reported femicides went unsolved, according to the National Women’s Network.

Estupiñán’s murder comes just days after a similarly shocking crime in Mexico, where 23-year-old influencer Valeria Márquez was fatally shot while livestreaming from a salon. Authorities in both countries are now investigating these killings as femicides, reflecting a broader regional crisis.

The Colombian Observatory of Femicides recorded a seven-year high in 2024, with 886 confirmed cases. As of March 2025, another 207 femicides have been reported. The Office of the Attorney General, however, has acknowledged a discrepancy in official numbers, citing 640 cases through November 2024.

Human Rights Watch has repeatedly warned that gender-based violence in Colombia is “widespread” and that accountability remains rare. Laws intended to protect women, Vera emphasized, “are dead letters unless enforced.”

In the wake of Estupiñán’s killing, women’s rights organizations are mobilizing protests and vigils in Cúcuta and Bogotá to demand justice and comprehensive reforms to ensure the safety of women.

At her funeral, a family member offered a moving tribute: “María José, life for you was a wonderful journey—but tragically short. Fly high, Majo.”

As calls for justice echo nationwide, María José Estupiñán’s death stands as both a personal tragedy and a national reckoning—a stark reminder of how far Colombia must go to safeguard the lives and dignity of its women.