Colombian Influencer Shot Dead Days After Valeria Márquez

The fatal shooting of Colombian influencer Maria Jose Estupiñán Sánchez, known online as La Mona, has reignited international outrage over gender-based violence in Latin America. Estupiñán, 22, was gunned down at her home in Cúcuta by a man posing as a delivery driver on May 15, just two days after Mexican influencer Valeria Márquez was murdered during a livestream.

Both women were victims of deceptive and targeted attacks, prompting growing fears that influencers, particularly young women, are being hunted, silenced, or punished in a region plagued by rising femicide rates. Estupiñán had reportedly won a court case against an abusive ex-boyfriend shortly before her murder. Authorities are investigating both killings as suspected femicides.

Here’s how different news outlets are covering the story:

Media Bias Breakdown

Left-leaning outlets frame these deaths as part of a systemic femicide epidemic. Right-leaning sources emphasize crime details and personal drama, sometimes avoiding the term “femicide.” Centrist platforms report facts while acknowledging broader public outrage.

Related | Beauty Influencer Valeria Márquez Shot Dead During TikTok Livestream

Why It Matters:

These killings are not isolated incidents. They’re warnings. And they expose a horrifying truth: having a public platform as a woman in Latin America can be a death sentence. Until there is real accountability, no amount of fame can shield women from systemic violence. Visibility makes women powerful—but in the wrong society, it also makes them targets.

We’ll update this post as investigations continue.

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Key Sources

El Colombiano — Detailed coverage of Estupiñán’s murder, her history of domestic violence complaints, and the ongoing investigation

Reuters — Provided early analysis of the Valeria Márquez case and broader context of femicide in Latin America

Mashable — Explained the term “femicide” and examined parallels between the murders of Márquez and Estupiñán

The Independent — Reported on Estupiñán’s killing and highlighted the delivery-man deception used in her murder