On October 3, Francisco Tapia, general secretary of the municipality of Chilpancingo, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, was shot to death while walking through the historic center of the city. The next day, a dismayed mayor Alejandro Arcos Catalán gave statements to journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva’s channel and said that his security should be reinforced. That security never came. On Sunday night, the mayor’s body was found abandoned in a white van. His murderers decapitated him and placed his head on the roof of the vehicle, in the purest style of executions carried out by organized crime. He had been in office only six days.
On September 28, they also murdered someone who was identified as their Secretary of Public Security, Ulises Hernández Martínez. An armed commando shot at his vehicle on the road to Tixtla. The man and his companion, a 35-year-old woman, were shot to death.
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No person has been arrested for these three crimes.
“A Francisco Gonzalo Tapia Gutiérrez “We always knew him as an honest man, of values, of convictions, he had always dedicated himself to the service of the community and he did not have any problems in his life, family or personal that we knew of.”said Bows in the interview.
He was then asked if security in the municipality should be strengthened. “Of course yes. I ask for it and that of my work team. We are going to continue working, we are going to continue fighting for our community. We have always talked about a peace project, it has been our flag, our proposal and that is what we aspire to. “We are not people of conflict.”he stated.
He also asked for the support of the new president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaumand the governor of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado.
“I ask the president Claudia Sheinbaum that we walk together hand in hand, we ask for your support, support. We need them, we need them to be able to get ahead. I ask you with my heart in my hand, help me fight and build the peace we need.”said.
Defeated Morena
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Alejandro Arcos Catalán43 years old, won the June 2 elections for the Force and Heart coalition for Mexicoformed by the National Action Party (PAN), the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). Sworn in as mayor of the capital of Guerrero last September 30.
Bows had announced a security plan called “Chilpancingo Shielding”, which consisted of hiring more police officers, acquiring more patrols and strengthening the reporting and investigation systems.
Guerrero is one of the most violent states in Mexico. Criminal gangs like Southern Cartel, The TlacosLa Bandera, La Familia Michoacana, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Tequileros, United Cartels, The Viagras, The Russians, The Squirrelsamong others, extort legal industries, public transportation, all types of businesses and even markets. They are also dedicated to drug trafficking.
In July of last year, a video was released showing the outgoing mayor, Norma Otilia Hernandezmeeting with the leader of The SquirrelsCelso Ortega. The authority ended up being expelled from his party, the ruler Morena.
According to the newspaper El País, Ortega and his group’s interest in politics is public. One of his brothers, Bernardo, was a heavyweight in the local PRD. In an interview he gave this year, Celso Ortega He said that the meeting with the former mayor responded to an ongoing negotiation. He also stated that The Squirrels They had supported him to become mayor.
At least 17 candidates and politicians from Guerrero were murdered
during the campaign for the June elections, according to the consultancy Laboratorio Electoral. Only Chiapas, with 26, had more political homicides. While during the 6 years of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s government, at least 20 mayors and 70 municipal deputies were murdered.
The latest activities of Mayor Arcos
Before his assassination, the mayor Bows had visited areas affected by the intense rains that fell in recent days as a result of the passage of the Hurricane John.
He also made six posts on his Facebook account where he reported on the state of the roads, the channeling of the Huacapa River and the damage left by Hurricane John.
According to Infobae, his last visit was to the community of Tepechicotlana territory where a strong presence of The Squirrels.
There, the mayor oversaw a special brigade to provide support to families affected by the hurricane. “We will continue to coordinate to address the damage to the pantheon and prepare a massive cleaning campaign to prevent health risks.“, he reported Bows shortly before 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.
At 8:54 p.m., the national leader of the PRI, Alejandro Morenoreported that Alejandro Arcos had been murderedwithout giving more details.
The car where the mayor was found was parked outside a hotel near the highway between Chilpancingo and Tixtla, in the Villas del Roble neighborhood.
Before the murder was confirmed, photos of the crime circulated on social networks. In one of them the body of the mayor is shown beheaded inside a truck. He remained in the passenger seat and his chest was covered by a gray sheet.
In another photo you can see the severed head of the mayor that was placed on the roof of the car.
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On Tuesday, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) of Mexico, Omar García Harfuchsaid that on Sunday, October 6 Arcos Catalán had a meeting scheduled in Petaquillasa town located in Chilpancingo. He stated that the reason for the meeting or who was going to participate is not known. The mayor was alone and did not have security escorts or a driver.
“Communication is lost in a community and, subsequently, the lifeless body of the mayor is found,” he lamented.
Garcia Harfuch specified that Bows did not have protection National guard because he had not made any formal request for it.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who also took office on October 1, said on Monday that The authorities are investigating the crime.
Alejandro Arcos Catalán had a degree in Political Science and Public Administration. In 1994 he worked as a manager of vulnerable groups and five years later he participated in the state government of Guerrero, where he served as coordinator of youth events.
In 2005 the founded the Muévete por Guerrero Civil Association and in 2009 he assumed the direction of Cadastre in the Chilpancingo City Council.
In 2011 it was general director of the Guerrerense Institute for Comprehensive Care of the Elderly (IGATIPAM).
In 2013 he was elected local deputy representing Chilpancingo.