A mayor in Mexico’s western state of Michoacan was shot dead in front of dozens of residents and tourists attending Day of the Dead celebrations, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, mayor of Uruapan, was gunned down late Saturday in the town’s historic plaza. State prosecutor Carlos Torres Pina said the 45-year-old was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries shortly after. A city council member and a bodyguard were also wounded.

According to Federal Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch, the attacker fired seven shots before fleeing. He added that the weapon used was later linked to two recent gun battles between rival criminal groups operating in the region.

“No line of investigation is being ruled out to clarify this cowardly act that took the life of the mayor,” Garcia Harfuch said.

'The Mexican Bukele'

Michoacan, a hotspot of cartel violence, has long been contested by criminal factions fighting over territory, drug routes, and extortion rackets. Uruapan, known for its avocado exports and vibrant cultural festivals, has become one of the most dangerous municipalities in the state.

On Sunday, hundreds of residents dressed in black marched in silence behind Manzo Rodríguez’s coffin, chanting “Justice, justice! Out with Morena!, a reference to the ruling party of President Claudia Sheinbaum. At the head of the procession, a man led the slain mayor’s black horse, carrying one of his signature hats on the saddle, while a mariachi band played mournful tunes.

The mayor, a former Morena legislator who broke away to form an independent movement, had earned the nickname “the Mexican Bukele” for his outspoken promises to crack down on organized crime. In recent months, he had publicly pleaded with President Sheinbaum for federal assistance, accusing Michoacán’s governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla and state police of corruption and collusion with criminal groups.

Wider context

Manzo Rodríguez had been under official protection since December 2024, three months after taking office. His security detail was expanded in May to include municipal police and 14 National Guard officers, according to authorities.

Footage of the attack circulated widely online, showing festival-goers enjoying the celebrations moments before gunfire erupted, sending the crowd fleeing for cover. In one video, bystanders attempt CPR on a man believed to be the mayor.

His assassination marks the second killing of a local leader in Michoacan this year. In June, Tacambaro mayor Salvador Bastidas was shot dead alongside his bodyguard, while in October 2024, journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís was murdered in Uruapan shortly after interviewing Manzo Rodriguez.