- Alejandro Arcos, who has just become mayor, is brutally murdered in Mexico
- Gerer State has become a terror for politicians and journalists
- The city of Chilpansing suffers from conflicts caused by drug gangs
- Mexican elections were stained with blood: many candidates and their relatives were killed
Alejandro Arcos, who has just become mayor, is brutally murdered in Mexico
A brutal murder in Mexico has further highlighted the country's struggle against drug cartels. Just six days after Alejandro Arcos took office as Mexico's mayor, the mayor's severed head was found on the roof of his car. This is the second official to be brutally murdered in the state of Guerrero in less than a week.
The body of Arcos, the 43-year-old Mayor of Chilpansing, was found on Sunday evening in his pickup truck and the politician's decapitated head was placed on the roof of his car. The Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed Arcos' death and announced an investigation[1].
The Governor of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado, expressed her deep indignation at the murder. "The whole of Gerero society mourns his loss and fills us with indignation," she said in a statement shared on the social network.
A. Arcos' funeral, which was attended by a large number of mourners, took place on Monday. The politician's head was reportedly stitched back to the body, but instead of a fully open coffin, it was covered under a glass shroud[2].
Gerer State has become a terror for politicians and journalists
On the day of the murder, A. Arcos was visiting the Chilpansing area, recently devastated by Hurricane John. On that day, the newly elected mayor, an opposition figure, was attending a meeting but reportedly did not request any security escort. According to the Minister for Security, Omar Garcia Harfucho, he went completely alone, but after the meeting, Arcos disappeared, and his body was found a few hours later. According to the local media, Arcos had gone to meet members of the Los Ardillos gang before his death[3].
Although local media reports had previously indicated that Mr Arcos wanted additional protection, the Minister of Security stressed that the Mayor had not sought help from the Ministry of Security or the National Guard.
The state of Guerrero has still not recovered from the previous wave of violence, with the shooting of the new Secretary of Government, Francisco Tapia, a week ago. The murders have come as a great shock to the local community, with Senator Alejandro Moreno expressing his sadness at the loss of young and honest officials who were striving for progress in their community.
The state of Guerrero has long been known as a center for the drug trade, particularly for the cultivation of opium and poppies. As many as 16 drug trafficking gangs operate in the state and fight for control of the region. High crime rates and brutal attacks to influence politicians have made the state one of the most dangerous for local politicians and journalists.
At least six candidates for public office were murdered in the region in the run-up to the Mexican elections in June. Since the latest brutal death, four mayors - from the states of Guerrero and Guanajuato - have already applied for extra protection.
The city of Chilpansing suffers from conflicts caused by drug gangs
The city of Chilpansing has been struggling for years with violent crime, fuelled by frequent conflicts between the two largest rival drug gangs, the Ardillos and the Tlacos. The city's former mayor, Norma Otilia Hernández, was filmed allegedly meeting with gang leaders in a restaurant. She was expelled from her party, paving the way for A. Arcos' candidacy.
In 2023, protests in Chilpansing were organized by the Ardilla gang to force the release of two of its leaders who had been arrested for possession of drugs and weapons.
The two days of protests blocked traffic on the main highway between Mexico City and Acapulco. Protesters even hijacked an armored police truck, with which they broke down the gates of the state legislature building and occupied the building.
At the end of the protests, the demonstrators abducted ten members of the state police and the National Guard and three state and federal officials. The state authorities eventually freed the hostages in exchange for promises to invest in public works projects.
Mexican elections were stained with blood: many candidates and their relatives were killed
It is worth pointing out that, in fact, the whole of Mexico has long been struggling with political violence as cartels seek to influence local government.
This year, the country held its largest elections in history, with nearly 20 000 public positions filled, including local, state and federal posts. But the process was marred by violence: some 37 candidates were killed before the vote, many of them running for local office. In other cases, relatives of candidates were killed in an apparent attempt to intimidate politicians.
This outbreak of violence and the constant fear for their own safety and the safety of their relatives has led some candidates to withdraw their candidacy. Members of the National Guard gave others protection.
Following her inauguration on 30 September and the violent outbreaks, the newly elected Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced her plan to strengthen security but ruled out the possibility of reverting back to tough anti-drug tactics.
"The war on drugs will not return", she said, referring to a controversial initiative by the United States.
Sheinbaum says Mexico will seek to take measures to tackle the root causes of crime, such as poverty. She also insisted that the government would not use excessive force to fight crime. The Mexican army and law enforcement have long been accused of extrajudicial killings and even of collaborating with cartels. This approach of the new President is reminiscent of the policy of Sheinbaum's predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which was based on a strategy of 'hugs, not bullets'.
