The newly appointed mayor of the southern Mexican city of Chilpancingo has been killed just one week after his inauguration, authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Alejandro Arcos, who took up his position last Monday, started facing threats immediately in a city notorious for its violent crime and drug trafficking.
The Guerrero state prosecutors’ office issued a statement confirming Arcos’ death but did not provide additional details surrounding the incident.
Alejandro Moreno, the national leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), expressed his condolences over the killing and also pointed out that the newly appointed secretary of the city council was also murdered just three days earlier.
Large rally against the violence in Mexico’s Gutierrez region, where the local population is suffering from the gang war between drug cartels. 13 September 2024. On Oct. 6, 2024, Alejandro Arcos, mayor of the city of Chilpancingo, was killed just one week after he took office.
Daniel Diaz/picture-alliance/ dpa / AP
“They had been in office less than a week,” Moreno wrote on social media. “They were young and honest public servants who were seeking progress for their community.”
The violence in Chilpancingo reflects broader issues within Guerrero, where ongoing turf battles have resulted in numerous fatalities and high-profile controversies.
Previous mayors have faced serious scrutiny, including one captured on video meeting with gang leaders, which led to her expulsion from the PRI.
Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero state and home to the well-known tourist destination Acapulco, has long been a battleground for rival drug gangs, particularly the Ardillos and the Tlacos.
The city’s notoriety was exemplified in July 2023, when federal officials reported that a large public demonstration in Chilpancingo, organized by the Ardillos, aimed to secure the release of two gang leaders arrested for drug and weapon offenses.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addresses the Armed Forces at Campo Marte in Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. She is tasked with curbing the proliferation of drug cartels across the country.
Fernando Llano/AP
During the protest, and in a stark demonstration of their influence, a drug gang hijacked an armored government vehicle and took police officers hostage to secure the release of their detained associates.
The loss of Mayor Arcos highlights the significant risks faced by public officials in some of Mexico’s most dangerous regions.
Last week, Claudia Sheinbaum made history by becoming Mexico’s first female president, marking a significant milestone for a country 200 years after it gained independence.
One of her tasks will be to curb escalating violence in several Mexican cities, including Culiacan, which is dominated by drug cartels and where clashes among factions of the Sinaloa cartel have intensified following the capture of high-profile drug lords Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López in the U.S.
The situation is similar across the nation, with drug-related violence surging from Tijuana in the north to Chiapas in the south, displacing thousands in its wake.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press
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