Femicide Suspect Received Government Subsidies While Working for Municipality

Claudio Barrelier, the primary suspect in the femicide of 14-year-old Agostina Vega, received government subsidies from Córdoba, Argentina, while he was employed by the local municipality. Vega disappeared on May 23 and was later found murdered. An investigation by the Córdoba-based media outlet Ruido revealed that Barrelier received funds from the Ministry of Social Development under the "Social and Natural Emergencies" subprogram in November and December 2025.

These subsidies were disbursed six months after Barrelier had been detained for unlawful deprivation of liberty involving another woman. In that prior incident, the victim reportedly escaped Barrelier's home naked and with tied wrists, seeking help. Despite this previous accusation, Barrelier secured employment with the Municipality of Córdoba, reportedly through the recommendation of former councilor Ricardo Moreno.

According to local reports, Barrelier received two payments of $120,000 each from the ministry, which was then led by Laura Jure. The government of Martín Llaryora reportedly allocated nearly $2 billion in subsidies for the same program in October 2025. The reasons for Barrelier receiving these specific subsidies remain unclear, but their veracity was confirmed using his CUIT number, which matches the number found in the case files related to Agostina Vega's murder.

Barrelier was the first person arrested and charged in Vega's femicide. The teenager's body was discovered in an undeveloped area in the Ampliación Ferreyra neighborhood after she had been missing for a week. Investigations suggest Vega entered Barrelier's home in the Cofico neighborhood on the night she disappeared, where she was subsequently abused and strangled. Currently, four individuals are detained in connection with the case, three of whom are charged with aggravated concealment. A recent inspection of Barrelier's house, following the end of the judicial recess, indicated that the sexual abuse occurred in a room occupied by Osvaldo Fassetta, another detainee accused of concealment. Barrelier and Fassetta are in pre-trial detention at a maximum-security prison.