Gunmen assassinated Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in Mexico’s Michoacán state, during a public Day of the Dead event, authorities confirmed on November 1.
The attack occurred in Uruapan’s city center, a region long troubled by organized crime violence. Mexico’s national public security agency stated that two people involved were arrested, and one assailant was killed.
Witnesses shared videos showing panic as crowds fled after gunfire erupted at the event.
Manzo took office in September 2024 and was known for his proactive security approach. He often joined local patrols wearing a bulletproof vest and had publicly called for stronger federal action against violent crime.
In June, he posted a video urging greater federal intervention to protect Michoacán residents from cartel activity.
Michoacán, rich in agricultural resources, has been caught in conflict between powerful drug cartels extorting farmers and controlling trade routes.
The mayor’s killing follows a surge in violence targeting local leaders in Mexico. Just days earlier, Bernardo Bravo, a farmer representative who opposed gang extortion, was also shot dead in the same state.
Last month, the mayor of Pisaflores in central Mexico was gunned down by armed assailants.
In June, attackers stormed a mayor’s office in southern Mexico, killing the mayor and a staff member.
Soon after, another mayor and her husband were killed in western Mexico.
Mexico has suffered nearly two decades of drug-related violence with thousands of deaths linked to cartel activity.
The assassination of Manzo adds to the growing list of political figures killed amid escalating insecurity and impunity across the nation.
