The city of Ayacucho, Peru, is in turmoil following the discovery of the lifeless body of 21-year-old Lucía Gabriela Bravo López, a young psychologist who graduated from the Continental University of Huancayo and is a former model.
Her body was found wrapped in several blankets in the Campanayocc sector, Carmen Alto district, Ayacucho.
A shot to the chest ended Lucía’s life, and all suspicions point to her ex-partner Erasmo Aguilar Cordero (31), who had a restraining order in force after a history of violence.
The case, investigated as a suspected femicide, has sparked outrage and a cry for justice among the Ayacucho population. According to initial investigations, Lucía disappeared on Saturday, April 12, while on her way to her workout at the Power Gym in Ayacucho.
Erasmo Aguilar Cordero, a former personal trainer at the gym, did not accept the end of his relationship with Lucía and that day he allegedly intercepted her to kidnap her.
Hours later, after an intense search, her body was found abandoned in a rural area of Campanayocc, wrapped in blankets, evidence of the violence with which she was killed. The cruelty of the crime has shocked the community, which anguishedly followed the news of her disappearance and tragic outcome.
Authorities discovered that the suspect had tried to trick Lucia the day before the kidnapping, in an attempt at emotional manipulation.
On Friday, April 11, the young woman received an anonymous bouquet of flowers, and then Aguilar insisted on meeting her under the pretext of giving her a dog they both had as a pet. Fortunately, Lucía’s mother was suspicious of this sudden attention and advised her daughter not to go to the meeting.
They soon realized that the puppy excuse was false—the pet was far away, in the care of relatives in the jungle—and Lucía canceled the appointment.
This failed ruse by Aguilar showed clear premeditation; when he failed to achieve his goal by fair means, everything indicates that he resorted to force the following day.
The history of violence in this relationship already raised fears of a fatal outcome. In August 2024, Aguilar held Lucía against her will at his home in Huancayo, leading the young woman’s father to file a complaint and obtain a restraining order against him.
However, that measure did not stop the attacker. Just three months later, in November 2024—during the Bolivarian Games held in Ayacucho—Aguilar attempted to kidnap Lucía Bravo again. On that occasion, timely police intervention thwarted the attack, and Erasmo Aguilar was arrested.
Despite the seriousness of these circumstances, the suspect didn’t remain in custody for long; he remained free while the investigation continued, a situation he allegedly took advantage of to exact his revenge.
Today, with Lucía murdered, painful questions arise about whether this foretold tragedy could have been avoided. Following the discovery of her body, authorities have intensified the search for the fugitive.
The Criminal Investigation Division (Divincri) of Ayacucho is leading the investigation, and the identity and photograph of Erasmo Aguilar Cordero have been released in an effort to secure his swift capture.
Lucía’s family, desperate for immediate results, has offered a financial reward to anyone who provides confidential and valuable information that leads to the suspect’s whereabouts.
“We won’t rest until we see him behind bars ,” his relatives told local media through tears, appealing to anyone who knows anything to come forward.
Meanwhile, police authorities have asserted that they will not relent until they arrest him and bring him to justice, attempting to bring some calm to the outraged public.
The death of Lucía Bravo has unleashed a wave of outrage in Ayacucho and throughout Peru. Her family and friends are not only mourning her loss, but are also speaking out against the failings of the protection system.
“We reported this several times, and no one did anything… What good did the restraining order do?” asked one of the victim’s uncles, reflecting the family’s frustration at the authorities’ apparent inaction.
Activists and women’s groups warn that this is not an isolated case, but rather part of an alarming wave of femicides hitting the country – between January and November 2024 alone, 141 cases of femicide were recorded in Peru.
“We demand justice for Lucía and that this crime not go unpunished ,” they proclaimed during vigils and on social media, demanding that the perpetrator be caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law. The cry is unanimous: not one woman less, never again.
