MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Killing of 11-yr-old girl halts all political rallying in Argentina

Morena was mugged on her way to school in the morning

All candidates, presidential or otherwise, have suspended their campaign closing rallies for Sunday's Simultaneous, Open, and Mandatory Primary (PASO) elections after Morena Domínguez, an 11-year-old girl, was killed Wednesday when motorbike robbers took her backpack at 7.20 am on her way to school in Lanús, a municipality in the province of Buenos Aires just south of the Argentine capital.

In this scenario, Libertarian Javier Milei became the only one to have staged his campaign closing event because it was held earlier this week.

Read also: Argentina: Milei closes campaign ahead of PASO elections

Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta of Together for Change (Juntos Por el Cambio - JxC), who was to hold a rally Thursday at the Atenas club in the city of La Plata, posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that “There are no words for so much pain. My condolences to Morena's family and loved ones. We need justice. I will accompany them to demand it.”

“I am deeply hurt by Morena's death. All my support to her loved ones. The people want to live with justice and in peace,” wrote Jujuy Governor Gerardo Morales, Larreta's running mate.

Larreta's JxC rival, former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, was to have her own rally at the Club Atlético Lanús' indoor stadium, together with Lanús Mayor Néstor Grindetti, who is running for governor of Buenos Aires.

“Due to the sad facts of public knowledge, we send our condolences and solidarity to Morena's family and friends. We have decided to suspend the closing event of the campaign in the Province of Buenos Aires scheduled for tomorrow,” Bullrich's campaign manager Juan Pablo Arenaza announced.

“Again the pain. Now with the murder of Morena, 11 years old. All my accompaniment and support to the family and friends. We cannot continue living with so much anguish and fear. This is not enough. They transformed Argentina into an unlivable country,” Bullrich herself posted.

Meanwhile, Economy Minister and presidential candidate Sergio Massa of Unión por la Patria (UP) canceled his appearance Thursday at La Plata's Teatro Argentino, during which he was expected to show his political backing from unionist movements and also from Kirchnerism. Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) is said to have chosen the venue herself. Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof also halted his reelection bid gathering in the town of Merlo, which Massa also planned to attend.

“By virtue of the painful and tragic crime of Morena Domínguez, which occurred in Lanús, it was decided to suspend the campaign act planned for this afternoon in Merlo”, expressed an official statement, in which it was also remarked that, “in view of this tragedy, the provincial government is coordinating tasks and efforts with the government of Lanús.”

Morena Domínguez died after being mugged by motorcycle thieves, who attacked her to steal her belongings when she was walking to school in Villa Diamante, in the district of Lanús.

“Nothing will bring back Morena's life, but this dreadful crime, which shocks the entire community, will not go unpunished,” the statement added.

“The murder of 11-year-old Morena moves the country and us in particular, because her dad, Hugo, is our comrade, he is a member of the Excluded Workers Movement and works as an operator in one of the recycling cooperatives that we founded and integrates the mixed recycling system of the city of Buenos Aires. Her brother was formed in the 16 de Agosto club, one of the clubs founded by our comrades in Villa Caraza,” UP's other presidential contender Juan Grabois said on social networks.

“Morena's relatives are our comrades, they are our brothers, and the girl who is not with us today could be our daughter... A girl with her whole life ahead of her who suffered an avoidable death as a result of the violence that reigns in our neighborhoods and the systematic negligence of the State,” he added.

“We have always stood up for our brothers and sisters of the poor neighborhoods, for the cooperative workers and their families. We do it once again, without speculation, because we are all one,” Grabois went on.

”The perpetrators of the crime have been identified and arrested, as confirmed by the prosecutor's office itself. They are two adults who robbed and left Morena wounded in the vicinity of the school where she was studying (...). The response of the political representatives of the municipality of Lanús, far from assuming their responsibilities and acting accordingly, was to walk around the media and communicate false news to the editors of the main portals, pointing to people who did not participate in the event,” Grabois insisted.

Neighbors and relatives of Morena's marched through Lanús in demand of justice.