Mayor is killed in Mexico just days after taking office

The mayor of the city of Chilpancingo, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, Alejandro Arcos Catalán, was murdered by criminals this Sunday (6). The crime occurred six days after he took office as municipal manager.

Local press and social media images associated with the murder indicate that Arcos, 43, was decapitated and his head left in a vehicle, but authorities have not yet confirmed this detail.

The newly sworn-in mayor was part of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which classified the crime as “cowardly”.

“Enough of violence and impunity! The people of Guerrero do not deserve to live in fear,” the PRI said on social media.

The president of the party, Alejandro Moreno, also spoke about the murder and recalled that just three days ago, the secretary of the same city hall, Francisco Tapia, had been murdered.

“They had been in office for less than a week. Young, honest employees who sought progress for their community,” said Moreno.

The state of Guerrero, whose capital is Chilpancingo, is considered one of the most affected by drug cartel violence due to its strategic location on the Pacific coast.

During the electoral period, in March this year, Mexico experienced an unprecedented wave of violence, with more than 30 candidates murdered.

In June, the day after the elections, Yolanda Sánchez Figueroa, mayor of Cotija, was attacked and shot dead on a public street by criminals. At the time, the Mexican press associated the crime with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which made constant threats to the public manager for opposing criminal activity in the city.