Mexican Mayoral Candidate Shot Dead Amid Rising Election Violence

Mexican Mayoral Candidate Shot Dead Amid Rising Election Violence/Reuters

Sabiha Rajpoot | May 30, 2024 | 10:50 PM IST | Mexico, World | Follow on Google News

Mexican Mayoral Candidate Shot Dead Amid Rising Election Violence

Mexican Mayoral Candidate Shot Dead Amid Rising Election Violence

Key Highlights:

1. Mayoral candidate Alfredo Cabrera shot dead at a campaign rally in Guerrero state.
2. Cabrera’s death adds to the growing violence ahead of Mexico’s June 2 elections.
3. Mexican government deploying 27,000 soldiers and National Guard members for election security.

As Mexico witnesses an increase in violence ahead of its general elections, a mayoral candidate has been shot dead at a campaign rally in the southern Guerrero state, according to Al Jazeera. Alfredo Cabrera was murdered on Wednesday in Coyuca de Benitez. Local media shared a video showing a person approaching Cabrera and shooting him multiple times at point-blank range.

Cabrera’s death contributes to the escalating death toll in the lead-up to Mexico’s presidential, congressional, and local elections scheduled for June 2. The Mexican government reported that at least 22 candidates for local office have been murdered since last September. On Tuesday, a mayoral candidate in Morelos was also murdered, and another was shot and wounded in Jalisco.

Cabrera was part of an opposition coalition supporting Xochitl Galvez, a center-right senator and businesswoman of Indigenous descent, currently polling second in the presidential race. Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado condemned the “cowardly” murder and urged the state prosecutor’s office to ensure justice. The prosecutor’s office stated that the alleged attacker was killed at the scene.

Drug cartels often conduct political assassinations to control local police or extort money from municipal governments. In April, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador acknowledged that cartels try to influence mayoral appointments by eliminating rivals or running their own candidates.

(Inputs from Al Jazeera)

Sabiha Rajpoot

Sabiha Rajpoot, a young journalist, having BA- Journalism degree, writes on different scenarios. Sabiha is also a doctor degree at DHMS.