Alejandro Arcos, the newly appointed mayor of Chilpancingo, Mexico, was murdered just six days after taking office in a city plagued by drug-related violence.
His body was discovered on Sunday in the city, which has a population of about 280,000 and is located in the southwestern state of Guerrero.
State governor Evelyn Salgado expressed the community’s grief, describing the murder as one that “fills us with indignation.”
Arcos’s death follows the murder of Francisco Tapia, the city government’s new secretary, who was shot just three days earlier.
While no suspects or specific details have been released by authorities, Guerrero is notorious for its drug-related violence, and cartels have targeted numerous politicians across Mexico.
Unverified social media images reportedly showed Arcos’s remains before authorities confirmed his death.
During his short time in office, Arcos had been involved in overseeing disaster relief operations following the severe flooding caused by Hurricane John the previous month.
His social media accounts featured posts of him meeting with relief workers and residents just hours before his death.
Mexican Senator Alejandro Moreno paid tribute to Arcos and Tapia, calling them “young and honest officials who sought progress for their community,” and urged federal authorities to take over the investigation due to the “ungovernability” in Guerrero.
Arcos’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) also called for justice, stating on Twitter/X: “Enough of violence and impunity! The people of Guerrero do not deserve to live in fear.”
Guerrero, a state heavily affected by drug violence due to its strategic location on Pacific smuggling routes, has long been the scene of battles between rival drug gangs, the Ardillos and the Tlacos.
In the lead-up to Mexico’s June 2 elections, at least six candidates for public office were killed in the state.
Since 2006, when the Mexican government deployed the military to fight drug trafficking, more than 450,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands have gone missing across the country.
Source-BBC
