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11 Latin American True Crime Shows That Will Keep You Hooked
True crime has become one of the most popular genres in the streaming era. Not only because it brings us closer to crimes that have impacted entire societies, but because it reminds us that reality can often be scarier than fiction. Latin America, with cases that reveal corruption, violence, abuse of power, and struggles for justice, has been the setting for some of the most chilling stories that can now be viewed on platforms like Netflix and HBO Max.
Here’s a look at the most impactful productions that take viewers to the heart of some of the region’s most notorious crime cases.
Argentina
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Carmel: Who Killed María Marta? (Netflix)
María Marta: The Country’s Crime (HBO Max)
On October 27, 2002, María Marta García Belsunce was found dead in the bathroom of her home in an exclusive gated community in Pilar. What initially seemed like a domestic accident quickly turned into one of the most high-profile cases in Argentine history: five shots to her head revealed a different truth.
Netflix reconstructs the case in a documentary format, with interviews and previously unseen files, while HBO Max opts to dramatize it in a miniseries, showcasing the threads of the investigation and the constant suspicion surrounding the victim’s inner circle.
The Many Deaths of Nora Dalmasso (Netflix)
The murder of Nora Dalmasso, found strangled in her Córdoba home in 2006, shocked the country. Nearly two decades after the crime, it remains unsolved. The miniseries revisits evidence, suspects, and investigative failures, opening new questions about a case that remains steeped in impunity.
Breaking the Silence: The María Soledad Case (Netflix)
In 1990, 17-year-old María Soledad Morales was murdered in Catamarca. The case uncovered the political and judicial corruption of the region and sparked a student movement demanding justice. The documentary focuses on the fight of her classmates, who succeeded in having it recognized as Argentina’s first emblematic femicide.
Brazil
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John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer (Netflix)
For years, João Teixeira de Faria was revered as a spiritual healer capable of ‘curing’ diseases deemed incurable. Millions traveled to his sanctuary in Abadiânia until hundreds of women broke their silence and accused him of sexual abuse. This documentary reveals how a false messiah could sustain his empire through faith, fear, and impunity.
A Brutal Pact: The Murder of Daniella Perez (HBO Max)
Daniella Perez, an actress and daughter of telenovela writer Gloria Perez, was just 22 when she was brutally murdered in 1992 by her co-star. The documentary depicts the crime’s impact in Brazil and how Gloria’s fight brought about changes in the country’s violent crime legislation.
Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime (Netflix)
In 2012, Brazil was shocked by the news: Elize Matsunaga had murdered and dismembered her husband, Marcos Matsunaga, heir to the Yoki company. With exclusive access to Elize herself, this four-episode series revisits a case that still raises questions: Was it a crime of passion amidst abuse or calculated coldness?
Chile
A Sinister Sect: Colonia Dignidad (Netflix)
Founded by Paul Schäfer, a former Nazi soldier, Colonia Dignidad was presented as an agricultural and educational community in southern Chile. In reality, it was a place of systematic child abuse, disappearances, and collaboration with Pinochet’s dictatorship. The docuseries features testimonies from survivors and documents unveiling decades of terror beneath a guise of religion and discipline.
Mexico
The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo (Netflix)
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This documentary follows the struggle of Marisela Escobedo, mother of Rubí, who was murdered in 2008. Faced with the authorities’ inaction, Marisela became an investigator and activist, until she herself was murdered in front of the Chihuahua Government Palace. A painful story that exposes the face of impunity in Mexico.
Reasonable Doubt: A Tale of Two Kidnappings (Netflix)
A traffic accident ends with several men accused of kidnapping, without any solid evidence. The documentary shows how a corrupt and punitive judicial system can ruin innocent lives, and how a lawyer tries to overturn what seemed like an inevitable conviction.
Marcial Maciel: The Wolf of God (HBO Max)
This documentary series unveils the abuses of the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Marcial Maciel, who was shielded for decades by a powerful network within the Church. With previously unseen documents and testimonies from the victims, it provides a comprehensive portrait of one of the biggest religious scandals in Latin America.
Debanhi: Who Killed Our Daughter? (HBO Max)
The case of Debanhi Escobar moved Mexico and the world in April 2021. The young woman disappeared after attending a party, and her body was found days later under unclear circumstances. The documentary, featuring direct testimonies from her parents, seeks to answer the questions that still linger and highlights how Mexican society confronts gender-based violence and institutional negligence.
The appeal of true crime lies in that mix of fascination and horror: knowing that what we see happened in real life. In Latin America, these stories also spotlight structural issues: corruption, gender violence, judicial impunity, religious and political power, that continue to persist.
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