On May 15, 2025, 22-year-old Colombian social media influencer and university student María José Estupiñán Sánchez was tragically shot and killed outside her residence in Cúcuta, Colombia. The assailant, posing as a deliveryman, approached her with a fake package before shooting her multiple times at close range. Security footage captured the suspect fleeing the scene.
Estupiñán, known online as “La Mona,” was studying Social Communication at the University of Pamplona and aspired to become a television presenter. She had recently won a domestic violence case against her ex-partner, with the court awarding her a compensation of 30 million pesos just a day before her death. Authorities are investigating the possibility of femicide, as Estupiñán had previously reported her ex-partner for domestic violence.
Alejandra Vera, director of the organization Mujer Denuncia y Muévete, criticized the state for failing to protect Estupiñán despite her prior complaints and requests for security.
This incident occurred just days after Mexican influencer Valeria Márquez, 23, was fatally shot during a TikTok livestream at her salon in Jalisco, Mexico. Márquez had expressed fear during the livestream moments before her death.
The deaths of Estupiñán and Márquez have raised concerns over violence against women and the safety of social media influencers in Latin America. Colombia recorded 633 femicides in 2022 and 630 in 2023, while Mexico has seen over 50,000 women murdered since 2001, according to the United Nations.
Authorities continue to investigate Estupiñán’s murder, with her ex-partner under scrutiny. No arrests have been made as of yet.