The body of María Camila Potosí, a 21‑year‑old woman who was eight months pregnant, was found on 20 July on the outskirts of Cali, wrapped in sheets and with her hands and feet bound. She had disappeared four days earlier after being seen on a motorcycle driven by another woman. According to her family, the baby she was carrying was no longer in her womb when the body was discovered, a detail that remains subject to forensic confirmation but has become a central focus of the investigation.

President‑elect Abelardo de la Espriella, who takes office on 7 August, used his social media account to describe the homicide as “aberrant” and to demand that all those responsible be identified and captured. “From 7 August, the watchword and public policy will be to protect our women and to bring to justice anyone who dares to harm them,” he wrote. The Defensoría del Pueblo separately issued an alert citing the Potosí case alongside other recent killings of women, and called on the Attorney General’s Office to establish whether there are links to criminal networks. The body explicitly urged an “immediate and urgent” search for the missing infant and insisted that investigations be conducted “promptly, exhaustively and impartially.”

Investigators have identified the woman who drove the motorcycle as a person of interest. Her former partner, Carlos Rincón, told authorities that she had twice feigned pregnancies during their relationship and that on the day Potosí disappeared she did not return home. Police have stated that more than four individuals may have been involved in the crime, though no arrests have been made. The reward for information leading to the perpetrators has been raised to 200 million Colombian pesos by the mayor’s office and the governor’s department.

The case has intensified scrutiny of gender‑based violence in Colombia. The Defensoría warned that femicide is “the most extreme manifestation of gender‑based violence” and is often preceded by patterns of control and threats. It urged authorities to activate early search mechanisms for missing women and girls, and cautioned against reducing such crimes to isolated incidents. The investigation remains open, with forensic and testimonial evidence still being gathered, and the whereabouts of the baby unknown.