On the last day of the election campaign
Mayoral candidate shot dead in Mexico
30.05.2024, 07:20
The election campaign in Mexico is drawing to a close with a shocking record of homicides: 30 politicians have not survived their candidacy. The most recent case: an opposition politician and mayoral candidate from the south of the country. The bullets hit him shortly before his campaign speech.
On the last day of the election campaign before the important mass vote in Mexico, another mayoral candidate was killed. Shortly before his appearance on stage at the final event of his campaign, opposition politician José Alfredo Cabrera was shot dead in the southern city of Coyuca de Benítez.
Videos on social media show the attack after Cabrera had greeted supporters. The governor of the state of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado, condemned the murder of the politician, who was the candidate of a coalition of the largest opposition parties.
Presidential, parliamentary and regional elections will be held in the Latin American country on Sunday. More than 20,000 offices at the national and local level will be filled. According to the Mexican think tank Laboratorio Electoral, around 30 politicians have been murdered since June 2023.
Just a few weeks ago, the mayor of the city of Mante, Noé Ramos, was stabbed to death by a man at a campaign event. The attacker approached as Ramos was speaking to citizens in the city, local media reported.
At the same time, local politician Alberto Antonio García, who was running for mayor in the town of San José Independencia in the southern state of Oaxaca, was killed. Garcia and his wife, Agar Cancinco, the current mayor of the municipality, had previously been reported missing, according to the public prosecutor’s office. Cancino was later found alive on an island. Garcia was found dead.
Criminal groups are suspected of being behind the attacks in an attempt to secure their influence. From Thursday until the election on Sunday, campaign appearances and similar activities are banned in Mexico.