Another Mexican candidate killed, raising figure to 37
3 Min Read
Local elections in Mexico continue running a bloody trail as 37 candidates have been assassinated thus far.
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Mexican candidate Jorge Huerta Cabrera, lay dead on the street after being fatally shot in Puebla, Mexico, June 1, 2024. (Screengrab)
Mexico's current election season has become the deadliest in its modern history, with the assassination of yet another candidate for the general elections on Friday after Jorge Huerta Cabrera, running for a council seat in Izucar de Matamoros, Puebla state, was murdered at a political rally. Cabrera is the 37th candidate killed ahead of the election slated for Sunday.
The attack, caught on video, tips the balance ever so slightly to allow 2024 to surpass the death toll from the 2021 midterm election, where 36 candidates were assassinated.
Este vídeo registra altercado ocurrido minutos antes del asesinato del candidato a regidor por el PVEM, Jorge Huerta Cabrera, en #IzucarDeMatamoros #PUEBLA
— Sin Censura (@_VicenteSerrano) June 1, 2024
Me confirman aparecen miembros del equipo de Lorenzo Suárez, candidato del #PRI.
¿Algo qué aclarar por parte del priista? pic.twitter.com/yToA7R10Sj
The persistent violence has once again brought to the limelight the issue of violent crimes in the North American state, as the opposition utilizes the high crime rate politically to challenge President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's Morena party after it solidified its hold due to the outgoing leader's popularity.
Claudia Sheinbaum: Elections frontrunner
Claudia Sheinbaum, the ruling party's hopeful, is anticipated to win the presidential vote, potentially becoming Mexico's first female president. However, the escalating violence has cast a shadow over the election.
Data from Integralia consultancy reveals a sharp increase in non-lethal attacks on candidates, with 828 incidents reported during the current election season, up from 749 just this past Monday. Analysts attribute this surge in violence to the intertwining of powerful drug cartels and corrupt local governments, which poses great risks for potential candidates.
Just on Thursday, a candidate for the mayoral position in the town of Coyuca de Benitez, Mexico, was shot dead during a campaign rally, this candidate was among the 560 individuals, including election officials, who have been assigned government security due to ongoing threats.
The mayoral candidate, Alfredo Cabera, was shot multiple times by an assailant who approached him from behind as he greeted supporters. The incident was recorded by a supporter participating in the rally and shows the moments before Cabera was tragically killed.
Another video circulating on social media shows the scene from the aftermath of the attack, where both Cabera and the assailant lay dead after the assailant was also shot dead by security personnel.
In a post on X, Guerrero governor Evelyn Salgado condemned the "cowardly" act and asked the state's prosecutor's office to bring "the full weight of the law against the person or persons responsible."
