- The gunmen are believed to be part of an organized crime group.
- Sánchez reported receiving death threats after taking office in September 2021.
- The Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG) is believed to be the most likely culprit.
Gunmen killed the female mayor of a town in Mexico just hours after the country celebrated the election of Claudia Sheinbaum as the nation’s first woman president. Yolanda Sánchez, who had governed Cotija since September 2021, was shot.
She was the first woman to be elected to the post. Widespread violence against politicians overshadowed Mexico’s general election, which saw two women running for the presidency.
Gunmen ambushed Yolanda Sánchez in the center of Cotija, Michoacán, on Monday. Local media reported that she was shot 19 times and died in the hospital shortly after the attack. Her bodyguard was also killed in the gun battle.
No arrests have been made so far in connection with the attack, but it is widely believed that the gunmen belonged to an organized crime group. Ms. Sánchez had reported receiving death threats after taking office in September 2021.
Armed men seized her at gunpoint during a visit to the neighboring state of Jalisco in 2023, holding her for three days. The politician stated that her kidnappers had made “demands” and inflicted “psychological terror” before releasing her.
While she stated that she did not know what criminal group they belonged to, local newspapers indicated that the most likely culprits were the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG). The CJNG engages in drug trafficking as well as kidnapping for ransom and extortion. It is also infamous for targeting public officials who refuse to comply with its demands.
Ms. Sánchez had stated that the men who threatened her after she took office demanded that she hand over the security of the town to state police officers affiliated with organized crime groups. She refused and requested military reinforcement for the town. After the incident, armed bodyguards were also provided to the mayor.
Her murder on Monday occurred less than a day after a general election overshadowed by the murder of local candidates. According to official figures, more than 20 people running for office have been killed since September, but independent surveys have indicated the number is closer to 40. Claudia Sheinbaum won the presidential race and will be sworn in on 1 October as the first woman to hold the top office in Mexico.
Ms. Sheinbaum’s defeated rival, Xóchitl Gálvez, criticized the violence that marred the campaign.
Ms Gálvez said that when she called Ms Sheinbaum on Monday, she told her “I saw a Mexico with a lot of pain and violence. I wished that she could solve the severe problems our people have”.
While Ms. Gálvez conceded defeat after announcing Ms. Sheinbaum’s unassailable lead in the polls, she has since characterized the presidential campaign as an “unequal competition against the entire state apparatus dedicated to favoring its candidate.” She also stated her intention to challenge Ms. Sheinbaum’s win without specifying how she would do so. With over 95% of the votes tallied in the preliminary count, Ms. Sheinbaum held a lead of over 31 percentage points over Ms. Gálvez.
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