Share this @internewscast.com

MEXICO CITY — A ruling party mayoral candidate was shot dead on Monday in central Mexico during an event on the first day of her campaign, despite having requested security protection from authorities and receiving no response.

A city council candidate was also initially reported as fatally shot in the incident, but the security ministry later said the person was missing.

On Monday evening, Gisela Gaytán had just presented her security strategy plan before a rally in Celaya, Guanajuato, when gunmen opened fire, killing her instantly.

Guanajuato’s state prosecutor said it was investigating the killing. No arrests have been made.

The reasons why Gaytán was targeted were unclear but Guanajuato state has in recent years registered some of the highest numbers of homicides in Mexico and experienced turf wars between criminal groups.

Security analysts say most electoral violence tends to occur at municipal level, where gangs exert pressure to influence the outcome in the hope of securing more control over drug trafficking and other criminal rackets.

“It is increasingly clear who exercises real power in the territories where there is crime, it does not matter which party is in power,” said Vicente Sánchez, an expert in security and politics at the College of the Northern Border, a think tank. “It is still organized crime groups that decide who the candidates are.”

Mexican elections have been marred by political violence for years, but figures suggest it is getting worse. Several dozen politicians and candidates were killed in the lead-up to the mid-term elections in 2021. According to Mexico City-based research organization Civic Data, there was a 236% increase in political electoral violence in the country between 2018 and 2023.

A report by political risk consultancy Integralia found 24 aspiring electoral candidates were killed between Sept. 1 and April 1, while the government on Tuesday said 14 people who had publicly stated they would run in elections had been assassinated since October 2023.

Gaytán, a 38-year-old former litigator, was the only female candidate in Celaya, one of the deadliest cities in the world and one of the most dangerous places to be a police officer in North America.

In a six-second video shared widely on social media, supporters at her rally are seen carrying party flags and shouting “Morena, Morena,” for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s ruling National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) party. Seconds later, six gunshots sound and the crowd quickly disperses.

Reuters could not determine the original source of the video.

Morena candidate for city council Adrián Guerrero was reported missing by the security ministry after the attack. Another two people were injured.

Earlier in the day, Gaytán told reporters that Morena had requested security from the state for her campaign. “We are looking at the issue to see how it can be resolved,” she said. “Let’s see if they have an answer for us today.”

Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez promised justice at a press conference on Tuesday and said the investigation would include an inquiry into why Gaytán had not received protection from state or municipal authorities.

She acknowledged Morena had requested security measures for all its candidates in early March from the country’s National Electoral Institute, INE. Guanajuato’s state electoral body, she said, responded it had yet to start the process needed for the security protocols.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Outcry after trophy hunter kills Zimbabwe lion involved in research project

Outrage as Trophy Hunter Kills Zimbabwean Lion Under Research Project

The lion, known as Blondie, was part of an Oxford University study…
Parents abandon 10-year-old son at Barcelona Airport so they wouldn't miss their flight: report

Report: Parents Leave 10-Year-Old Son at Barcelona Airport to Catch Flight

A couple allegedly abandoned their 10-year-old son at Barcelona’s airport after they…
Florida breaks 50-year execution record with ninth death sentence carried out this year

Florida Sets 50-Year High with Ninth Execution Conducted in a Single Year

A Florida man convicted of the 1994 murders of his wife and…

Cops Discover Enormous $100,000 XXL Labubu Doll During Raid on Notorious Crime Gang

AN XXL Labubu doll worth more than £100,000 was uncovered by Hong…
University of Alabama student 1 of 2 killed in Florida crash over Fourth of July weekend

Alabama Man Arrested After Alleged Kidnapping and Assault Across States

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WIAT) — A man was recently apprehended in Mississippi, accused…
Alleged bitcoin torturer walks free on $1M bond after two-month Rikers Island detention

Bitcoin Torture Suspect Released on $1M Bond Following Two-Month Rikers Island Detention

One of two suspects charged with torturing an Italian millionaire in a…
Student loan interest restarts for SAVE plan borrowers on August 1, some are 'crushed'

Interest on Student Loans Resumes for SAVE Plan Borrowers Starting August 1, Leaving Some Struggling

Andrea Murzello holds a doctorate in pharmacy and maintains a secure job…
Injured woman in hospital bed.

Miraculous Escape: Girl Survives 100ft Fall from Kyiv Tower in Putin’s Attack that Killed 11 – Pleads, ‘Where are My Parents?’

A YOUNG girl has miraculously survived a 100ft fall off a tower…
Investigators to wrap up public hearings into fatal midair crash between Army chopper and airplane

Probe Nearing Completion on Fatal Collision Between Army Helicopter and Plane with Public Hearings Concluding

The National Transportation Safety Board is holding the third and final day…
Migrants board a small inflatable boat in the English Channel at sunrise.

“Outrage in Britain as 25,000 Migrants Cross Channel This Year, With 898 Arrivals in Single Day”

FURY has erupted after more than 25,000 migrants were recorded arriving across…
Zimbabwe news: Trophy hunter kills Blondie the lion; animal was part of Oxford University research project

Trophy Hunter Kills Lion Named Blondie in Zimbabwe, Disrupting Oxford University Research

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Wildlife advocates are condemning the recent demise of a…
Trump admin ends deployment of additional National Guard troops to Los Angeles

Trump Administration Concludes Additional National Guard Deployment in Los Angeles

Only 250 National Guard members will remain in Los Angeles after the…