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Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, a local official in the western Mexican state of Michoacán, who was under police guard, was killed in front of many people during the Day of the Dead festivities in the same region.

Officials stated that the mayor of Uruapan was assaulted in the town’s historical center on Saturday evening. He was transported to a hospital, where he eventually passed away, as reported by state prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña.

A city council member and a security guard were also injured in the incident.

Federal security secretary Omar García Harfuch stated that the attack was committed by an unknown individual who fired seven bullets. He mentioned that the firearm involved had been connected to two prior violent confrontations between opposing criminal organizations in the region.

“No area of inquiry is being excluded to shed light on this despicable act that cost the mayor his life,” García Harfuch stated.

Michoacán continues to be one of the most dangerous areas in Mexico, where criminal organizations compete for dominance over land, drug trafficking routes, and other unlawful activities.

On Sunday, hundreds of Uruapan locals wore black and participated in a funeral march, carrying images of Manzo Rodríguez. They shouted “Justice, justice. Get rid of Morena,” which is the name of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s governing party.

In recent months, the mayor had openly requested Sheinbaum’s assistance in addressing organized crime. He had also alleged that Michoacán’s governor, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, and the state police were involved in corruption.

During the parade, a man guided the mayor’s black horse, with one of his famous hats resting on the saddle. Musicians wearing black attire came next, performing mariachi music while police and military personnel secured the surroundings.

The incident, recorded on video and posted online, depicted crowds celebrating the Day of the Dead festival before gunshots rang out and people rushed to take cover. In a different clip, a person is shown lying on the ground while another administers CPR.

Manzo Rodríguez has been under protection since December 2024, three months following his appointment. His safety was enhanced in May with the addition of more municipal police and national guard personnel, according to García Harfuch.

Referred to by some as “the Mexican Bukele” due to his strict approach to security, Manzo Rodríguez secured the mayoral position in Uruapan as an independent candidate.

His passing comes after the murder of another Michoacán mayor, Salvador Bastidas from Tacámbaro, who was shot in June together with his security officer. In October 2024, journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís was also killed in Uruapan shortly after speaking with Manzo Rodríguez.

(The Guardian Uk)

FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE