Buenos Aires, June 5 (RHC)-- Thousands of women in Argentina participated in mass demonstrations against the staggering number of femicides in their country and throughout the continent. 

The third edition of the #NiUnaMenos protests took place on Saturday, only one day after Ana Rosa Barrera, a 46-year-old Argentinean woman, was found dead in the city of Alta Gracia.  La Nacion newspaper reported that her partner, Marcelo Ferrarretto, confessed to the murder. 

Ana Maria Vazquet Duplat, a protest organizer, explained that since the first protests against femicide began in 2015 “the number of femicide deaths have only worsened.”  She added that in 2017, “while the state dismantles and withdraws funding for programs aimed at combating violence, a woman is killed every 18 hours.” 

Statistics show that there have been 133 femicide victims in Argentina so far this year.  Six out of 10 murders are committed by a husband, boyfriend or ex-partner. 

In 25 percent of the cases the victims had made a previous complaint, however, did not obtain sufficient protection from state officials. 

A key demand of the march is the release of Milagro Sala, an Indigenous leader of the Tupac Amaru neighborhood association.  She was arrested in January in Jujuy on allegations of stealing state funds. 

However, Sala denies the allegations, stating that racism plays a key role in her detention and being subjected to torture and receiving death threats.  On several opportunities she has stated that the Argentine corporate media has censured her and her peoples struggle. 

Many human rights advocates have denounced her arrest and she has received support from Pope Francis, the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights and Amnesty International.