The mayor of a city in southern Mexico has been murdered just days after taking office, a crime that President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned as “deplorable.”
Local reports indicate that Alejandro Arcos, the mayor of Chilpancingo, was decapitated, with his head left on the hood of a pickup truck, although this has not been officially confirmed.
An investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the killing and to apprehend those responsible, Sheinbaum stated at a press conference.
This murder marks the latest in a troubling pattern of violent attacks on politicians in Mexico, particularly in Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero state, where another city official was killed just days earlier.
Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado expressed her outrage on social media, describing the murder as an act that “fills us with indignation,” without elaborating on the circumstances.
Arcos was elected in June as part of an opposition coalition that included the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which characterized his killing as a “cowardly crime” and demanded justice.
The party expressed its frustration, stating, “Enough of violence and impunity! The people of Guerrero do not deserve to live in fear,” on the social media platform X.
The assassination follows the recent killing of another local official, Francisco Tapia, highlighting the dangers faced by politicians in Mexico due to violence related to corruption and the lucrative drug trade.
Alejandro Moreno, the PRI president, lamented the loss of “young and honest officials who sought progress for their community.”
Just hours before his death, Arcos had shared photos on social media from a visit to communities affected by a recent hurricane. In a heartfelt message posted after his passing, his family honored his “unwavering commitment to peace, unity, and service to others.”
Guerrero, one of Mexico’s poorest states, has long struggled with violence fueled by cartel turf wars over drug production and trafficking.
In 2022, the state recorded 1,890 murders, with Acapulco once a glamorous resort destination now plagued by crime.
Since the government began deploying the army to combat drug trafficking in 2006, over 450,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands reported missing in a wave of violence.
Addressing cartel violence, which makes murder and kidnapping commonplace, poses a significant challenge for President Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, who took office on October 1.
She has committed to continuing her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s “hugs not bullets” approach, focusing on social policies to tackle crime at its roots. She is expected to present her security plan on Tuesday, stating, “We’re going to work in some states in particular with a greater presence, intelligence, and investigation, in coordination with the governors.”
According to official figures, at least 24 politicians were murdered during the violent electoral process leading up to the June elections, in which a key ruling party figure won by a landslide.
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