Nicolás Márquez and Agustín Laje, authors of “The Black Book of the New Left” (2016), are two of the most influential figures of libertarian and ultraconservative thought in contemporary Argentina, close to the government of Javier Milei. Márquez, writer, lawyer and biographer of the President, and Laje, political scientist, present themselves as promoters of a “cultural battle” in Latin America, promoting anti-feminist, anti-LGBTQ+ discourses and contrary to “gender ideology.” Her rhetoric, which defines feminism as “totalitarian” and exalts a traditional vision of the family, has been pointed out by specialists as promoting hatred and misinformation.
In April 2024, Márquez sparked controversy by stating on Radio Miter that homosexuality is “a self-destructive behavior” and that “homosexuals have a lower life expectancy,” statements widely criticized for promoting stigma. Laje, for her part, maintained in April 2023 that feminism “is more misogynistic than ever because it does not even know how to define what a woman is” and described it in December 2024 as “a social fraud,” accusing it of not protecting women. These positions, replicated in networks and conferences, feed narratives adopted by groups such as “Varones Unidos”, which minimize gender violence and discrimination.
Both maintain a direct link with Pablo Laurta, founder of “Varones Unidos”, a Uruguayan anti-feminist group. Laurta organized an event for Márquez and Laje in Uruguay in 2018, including presentations of their book at the Legislative Palace of Montevideo. On April 10, 2018, Laje and Márquez recorded a gratitude video filmed by Laurta, where they both expressed: “We thank everyone who makes up the Varones Unidos group.” That day, Laurta appeared on stage talking about “violations of men’s human rights” by feminism. On April 9, 2018, the “Varones Unidos” Instagram account uploaded a photo of Laurta having lunch with them, described as a “lunch with members of Varones Unidos.” This link has generated criticism on networks, where her speeches are accused of encouraging the misogyny that Laurta internalized.
On Sunday, October 12, Laurta murdered her ex-partner, Luna Giardina (26), and her mother-in-law, Mariel Zamudio (54), in Villa Serrana, Córdoba, violating a restraining order. Giardina had reported him for attempted strangulation. After fleeing with his five-year-old son, he was detained in Gualeguaychú when he tried to escape to Uruguay. The case revived the debate about how hate speech and misinformation (spread by leaders such as Márquez and Laje) can lead to tragedies. With 30% cuts in policies against gender violence in Argentina, the debate about these ideologies intensifies.
