Overview

• Jorge García Cuerva opened the 51st Peregrinación Juvenil a Luján by saying that when the State withdraws from barrios, narcotrafficking advances.
• He referenced the Sept. 13 abductions and killings of Morena Verdi, Brenda del Castillo and Lara Gutiérrez, whose autopsies confirmed torture before death.
• Investigators treat the case as a narco‑style attack possibly tied to an alleged cocaine theft, with probes and related judicial actions still underway.
• The archbishop criticized reported links between deputy José Luis Espert and businessman Fred Machado, who is jailed in Viedma on narcotics cases, and urged cleaner leadership.
• Bishops from Quilmes and San Justo echoed concerns about "zones liberated" to drug mafias, as the pilgrimage’s motto and turnout amplified calls for a stronger State response.