Mayor Killed 

A Mexican mayor who had publicly criticized organized crime was shot and killed during a Day of the Dead celebration in Michoacán on Saturday night.

Context

Michoacán is one of Mexico's most violent states, where multiple cartels and criminal groups compete to control territory, drug distribution routes, and illegal businesses. The state has seen seven mayors killed since 2022. Uruapan, the city where this attack occurred, sits in the heart of Mexico's avocado-growing region, an industry that has become a target for criminal organizations due to booming demand from the US.

Mayor Shot

Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, the 40-year-old mayor of Uruapan, was attending a candlelight ceremony in the town's historic center when a gunman opened fire and shot him seven times in front of dozens of residents and tourists. Manzo died from his injuries at a hospital.

The gunman was killed at the scene, and authorities arrested two additional suspects. Since December 2024, Manzo had been under the protection of 14 National Guard troops and municipal police officers, but security officials said the attackers exploited the vulnerability created by the public event.

Cartel Critic

Manzo had been an outspoken critic of organized crime and government security policies, repeatedly calling on President Claudia Sheinbaum for more help in confronting cartels. Unlike Sheinbaum's strategy of prioritizing intelligence over direct confrontation, Manzo advocated for lethal force against cartels. "If someone is opening fire on the civilian population, we are going to take them down," he said in May.

His aggressive stance earned him the nickname "Mexican Bukele," referencing El Salvador's president who has led a crackdown on gangs. In a September interview, Manzo said, "I do not want to be just another mayor on the list of those who have been executed," but added that despite his fear, he would not take "a single step back."

President Defends Strategy

Following the assassination, President Sheinbaum ruled out any changes to her security policies and defended her approach of reinforcing security forces and strengthening intelligence work. "Some are calling for militarization and war, as happened with the war on drugs. That didn't work," Sheinbaum said. She promised there would be "no impunity" and accused her political opponents of acting like "vultures and scavengers" following the mayor's death. Hundreds of Uruapan residents took to the streets on Sunday for a funeral procession, chanting "Justice! Justice!" as they accompanied Manzo's body through the town.