The mayor of a city in southern Mexico has been murdered just days after taking office, authorities confirmed on Sunday, adding to the troubling trend of violence against politicians in the country. Alejandro Arcos, the newly-elected mayor of Chilpancingo, was killed less than a week after assuming office. Guerrero State governor, Evelyn Salgado, expressed her outrage on social media, though no further details were provided regarding the circumstances of his death.
Local media reports suggest that Arcos was killed, although there has been no official confirmation. Arcos, who was elected in June as part of an opposition coalition, represented the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The PRI condemned his murder as a "cowardly crime" and called for swift justice, stating, "Enough of violence and impunity! The people of Guerrero do not deserve to live in fear."
Arcos’ death follows the assassination of another city official, Francisco Tapia, just days earlier. According to PRI president Alejandro Moreno, both officials had been in office for less than a week. "They were young and honest leaders who aimed to bring progress to their community," Moreno shared on social media.
Guerrero, one of Mexico's most violence-stricken and impoverished states, has been ravaged by years of cartel-related violence, as rival groups battle for control of drug production and trafficking routes. The state, home to the once-glamorous Acapulco, saw 1,890 murders in 2023 alone.
Nationwide, Mexico has witnessed more than 450,000 murders and tens of thousands of disappearances since the government launched its military crackdown on drug trafficking in 2006. Politicians, especially those at the local level, have often been caught in the crossfire of this ongoing conflict.
Addressing the escalating violence remains a critical challenge for Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's first female president, who took office on October 1st. Sheinbaum, former mayor of Mexico City, has vowed to continue her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s "hugs, not bullets" policy, focusing on social reform to address the root causes of crime. She is expected to reveal her security strategy on Tuesday.
In the lead-up to the June elections, violence targeted politicians across the country, with official records showing at least 24 political figures were murdered during the campaign season.
