During a campaign event in the coastal state of Guerrero, a Mexican mayoral candidate was fatally shot by a gunman just as he was set to address the audience.
This tragic incident adds to the violence of Mexico’s current election season, which has seen 36 candidates killed and over 300 political attacks in less than a year.
The killing occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Coyuca de Benitez, Guerrero.
The victim, Jose Alfredo Cabrera Barrientos, was preparing to conclude his campaign activities ahead of Sunday’s election.
As a candidate from an opposition party challenging Mexico’s ruling party MORENA, he was targeted by the assailant.
A cellphone video captured the moment when Cabrera Barrientos was about to take the stage and a gunman approached him from behind.
Two shots were fired, causing the politician to fall. The gunman then reportedly fired up to 15 more shots while standing over him before attempting to escape.
You can watch the horrific incident here.
The Guerrero Attorney General’s Office reported that the gunman died shortly after allegedly clashing with authorities.
A second video shows the body of the gunman on the ground, with dozens of Mexican National Guardsmen inspecting the scene.
Amid preparations for Mexico’s upcoming presidential election on June 2, a surge in violence has been reported.
The ruling party, MORENA, is expected to face a tough challenge from opposition parties as they seek to regain control of the government amidst allegations of corruption, ties to organized crime, and political oppression.
The electoral cycle has been marred by controversy due to widespread corruption and violence.
Since the start of the political cycle in June 2023, the NGO Laboratorio Electoral has documented 320 political attacks and 93 political murders.
Of these murders, 36 victims were candidates or precandidates. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador attributed the political violence to corruption within prior administrations that had made deals with organized crime.
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