Political violence persists in Mexico just days before historic elections

Another local political candidate was killed in Mexico as Mexico prepared to hold a historic presidential election on Sunday amid a dramatic increase in political violence.

As all political candidates held their last day of campaigning on Wednesday to allow a legally mandated “period of reflection” for voters, mayoral candidate José Alfredo Cabrera Barrientos was shot dead in the municipality of Coyuca de Benítez, state de Guerrero, during his closing campaign rally.

The person suspected of murdering Cabrera Barrientos “was killed on the spot,” the Guerrero state attorney general’s office, which is investigating, said Wednesday evening.

Cabrera Barrientos belonged to the Broad Front for Mexico opposition coalition, made up of the traditional political parties that have long governed Mexico. These are the Conservative Party of National Action, or PAN, the small Progressive Party of the Democratic Revolution, and the old guard of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI.

His assassination is the latest in a series of violent attacks against political figures since Mexico’s official electoral process began in September. Since then, at least 749 cases of political violence have been reported, according to an analysis by Integralia, a public affairs consultancy that studies political risks and other issues in Mexico.

These include the murder of 231 people, including 34 political candidates. The analysis also documented armed attacks, assaults, kidnappings, disappearances and threats against former and current candidates, officials and politicians, as well as relatives and other collateral victims.

This represents a 150% increase in the number of victims of political violence across the country, compared to the last election campaign, which ended in 2021, according to Integralia.

The violence comes as the country holds the largest elections in its history on Sunday, with votes for all 628 seats in both houses of Congress and tens of thousands of local offices, according to the National Electoral Institute.

As violence and security remain a priority for voters, Mexico’s two leading presidential candidates, Claudia Sheinbaum and Xóchitl Gálvez, officially closed their campaigns on Wednesday.

One of them is set to make history as Mexico’s first female president, as Jorge Álvarez Máynez, the presidential candidate for the Citizens’ Movement party, is coming in a distant third in the polls.

Sheinbaum, of Mexico’s Morena political party, founded by his mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, held his last rally in Mexico City’s colonial-era central square and delivered a strongly nationalist speech to a crowd numerous.

She promised to combat violence by continuing López Obrador’s policy of offering apprenticeships to discourage young people from joining drug cartels.

“We will delve deeper into the peace and security strategy and the progress that has been made,” Sheinbaum said.

“This is not an iron fist policy,” she said. “This is justice.”

Gálvez, of the opposition Broad Front for Mexico coalition, held his rally on the outskirts of Mexico City and blasted López Obrador’s “hugs, not bullets” policy of not confronting the drug cartels. drugs – who have conquered much of Mexico, extorting money for their protection. residents.

She also pledged to unite a nation sharply polarized by López Obrador’s rhetoric, declaring: “Enough division, enough hatred.” … We are all Mexicans.”