Javier Milei awarded the 'Citizen's Valor' decoration to Luca Aguilar

In an emotional ceremony held at the Casa Rosada, President Javier Milei awarded the decoration "To the Citizen's Valor" to Luca Nicolás Aguilar, the 20-year-old delivery man who was murdered on January 30 after intervening heroically to defend a street vendor during a robbery in the Buenos Aires district of Moreno.

The distinction was posthumously awarded to his family, in a ceremony attended by the Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, and the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, along with Aguilar's relatives.

The medal represents the highest recognition that the Executive Branch grants to citizens who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to life, liberty, and the essential values established in the National Constitution. It was created through Decree 64/2025, signed by President Milei and published in the Official Gazette on February 7 of this year.

Luca Aguilar became a symbol of civic courage when, without hesitation, he confronted an armed criminal to protect another defenseless citizen. He received seven stab wounds in the attempt and lost his life, but he managed to prevent the vendor from suffering a similar fate. The case moved society and caused a deep anger over the serious security crisis in the province of Buenos Aires, where the ultra-Kirchnerist governor Axel Kicillof provides no solutions.

On his social media, President Milei had anticipated the creation of this distinction, initially named "Decoration to the Common Man's Valor," as an institutional gesture to honor those who demonstrate extraordinary ethical commitment in extreme situations.

Milei's message

Upon learning of Aguilar's death, President Milei expressed himself on social media: "A HERO WENT TO HEAVEN-Today Lucas Aguilar, a delivery man from Moreno who defended a street vendor from an assault, was killed," he titled.

"The street vendor was STABBED but survived thanks to Lucas. LUCAS MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR A STRANGER, GAVE HIS LIFE TO DEFEND HIM. Consequently, and to honor his valor, we will create the Decoration to the Common Man's Valor, awarded by the President of the Nation, and the first to receive it, posthumously, will be Lucas Aguilar," the president anticipated at that time.

He concluded: "Lucas is a Hero and an inspiration for all the Argentine people and particularly for the people of Buenos Aires, who, in the face of the neglect, ineffectiveness, and leniency of Governor Kicillof, are suffering a catastrophic wave of insecurity that is ending in a bloodbath for common people."

The decision by Milei's Government to create this decoration sets a precedent in security policy, with a president who supports the victims of insecurity and firmly combats criminals.