Las hermanas operaban una red de prostíbulos que funcionaban bajo la fachada de "casas de huéspedes". Su método de captación era particularmente cruel: viajaban por zonas rurales ofreciendo a jóvenes campesinas trabajos decentes como empleadas domésticas. Una vez en sus burdeles, las mujeres eran encerradas, golpeadas, drogadas, violadas y forzadas a ejercer la prostitución bajo un régimen de terror y esclavitud.
Ibargüengoitia blends painstaking journalistic research —drawn from police reports, trial transcripts, and newspaper coverage— with his signature dry, ironic humor. Rather than sensationalizing the horror, he uses a detached, almost bureaucratic tone to expose the absurdities of the legal system, the complicity of local authorities, and the social conditions that allowed such crimes to flourish for years.
According to the narrative, Las Poquianchis were a group of siblings who lived in a remote area of Guanajuato. The story goes that they were known for their beauty, charm, and alleged involvement in witchcraft. The sisters were said to have been responsible for the disappearance and death of numerous individuals, with some versions of the tale suggesting that they were also involved in cannibalism.
When searching for a definitive text or book ( libro ) on Las Poquianchis, several core works serve as the primary sources for academic and literary analysis: 1. Las muertas by Jorge Ibargüengoitia
Platforms like Open Library often have "Las Muertas" available for digital loan.
