María José Coni and Marina Menegazzo. Images shared on various Twitter accounts. The discovery of the lifeless bodies of two tourists in Ecuador inspired some social media users to insinuate that the women were somehow to blame for the violence they suffered — a view that quickly encountered backlash online. On February 22, 2016, friends and family of Marina Menegazzo, 21, and María José Coni, 22, launched an extensive social media campaign to find the two young Argentinians, who had disappeared while backpacking in Ecuador's Montañita Beach. Six days later, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa tweeted his support in response to an appeal of Belén Menegazzo, Marina's sister: @Belenanguela ¡Ánimo Belén! Ya tenemos nuestra policía investigando. Un abrazo a tus padres y a los de María José. Todo Ecuador con ustedes. — Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) 28 de febrero de 2016 @Belenanguela's tweet: My sister and her friend went missing last Monday, the 22nd in Montañita, Ecuador. Please spread the word!!!! @MashiRafael's tweet: Be strong Belén! Our police forces are investigating. A hug for your and Maria José's parents. All of Ecuador is with you. Just 24 hours later, Ecuadorian Home Secretary José Serrano confirmed on Twitter that the young women's bodies had been found showing evidence of head trauma. On February 29, Serrano held a press conference, revealing details of the murder investigation and the arrest of two suspects: Alberto Segundo Mina Ponce, who confessed to killing María José Coni, and Aurelio Eduardo Rodríguez, AKA “El Rojo”, who Mina Ponce said killed Marina Menegazzo. Imágenes d los presuntos responsables del asesinato de la jóvenes ciudadanas argentinas q fueron aprehendidos ayer pic.twitter.com/ybbaX50YXI — José Serrano Salgado (@ppsesa) 29 de febrero de 2016 Images of the men arrested yesterday, suspects in the murder of two young Argentinian women. According to Serrano, the young women supposedly left the hostel where they were staying on the afternoon of February 22 and met the two murder suspects in one of Montañita's bars later that evening. The killing would have taken place in the early hours of February 23 in the house of one of the men. Ecuadorian newspaper El Comercio reported that Mina Ponce had confessed he wanted to sexually abuse María José Coni. When she spurned his advances, he hit her with a stick, causing a fatal injury. After hearing noises from another room in the house, he said he approached and saw “El Rojo” stabbing Marina Menegazzo. Both men were drunk. Mina Ponce said that he removed the bodies from his house in a wheelbarrow, abandoning one body some 400 meters away and then attempting to hide the other. Both were stuffed into bags. Investigators say that the victims went to the attackers’ house by their own free will, an account that Gladys Stefaní, mother of María José Coni, refuted while speaking to Argentinian news channel Todo Noticias (TN). Condolences were quick to come for the families and friends of the two women on Argentinian and Ecuadorian social networks. Ecuadorian painter and model Susana Rivadeneira expressed her regrets: Pena, rabia y verguenza q pase esto en mi Pais!Unidos en oracion por Marina y Ma Jose y por tantas personas que ni nos enteramos #montañita — Susana Rivadeneira (@masusanar) 28 de febrero de 2016 Pain, anger and shame that this has happened in my country. We are united in prayer for Marina and María José and for so many others that we don't even know about #montañita Argentinian President Mauricio Macri showed his support on his Twitter account and offered the victims’ families legal assistance. Fabián Gustavo, an Argentinian father himself, responded with a message of solidarity following President Macri's statement: @mauriciomacri muy bien querido Presidente en nombre de todo el pueblo argentino los acompañamos en el dolor — fabian gustavo (@fabiangc1977) 29 de febrero de 2016 @mauriciomacri's tweet: All the legal assistance that you require is available to you through the Argentinian Embassy in Ecuador. @fabiangc1977's tweet: Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of all Argentinian people, we are united in this time of sadness However, amongst the messages of solidarity were those who questioned the safety of travelling in Ecuador. Argentinian news website Infobae published a video on its Facebook page asking Argentinian citizens: “Would you travel to Ecuador after what happened to the Argentinian girls? Would you let your daughters travel alone to Ecuador?” To which the last interviewee replied: No, de ninguna manera. Solos no. Menos siendo mujeres. Mucha desventaja física. Solos no. Solas no. No, no way. Not alone. Much less if they are women. They are at a physical disadvantage. Not alone. Not alone.