Woman Mayor Assassinated In Mexico Day After Electing First Female President

The mayor of a town in western Mexico was assassinated on Monday, the regional administration reported, only 24 hours after Claudia Sheinbaum was elected the Latin American country's first female president. Officials stated that the mayor's security was also killed in the attack.

Michoacan's state government condemned "the murder of the municipal president (mayor) of Cotija, Yolanda Sanchez Figueroa," according to a social media statement by the regional interior ministry.

 Assassination of Cotija's Mayor

Sanchez, who was elected mayor in the 2021 elections, was gunned down on a public road, according to local media, with one source stating she was shot 19 times outside a gym. The Michoacan attorney general's office reported that Sanchez's bodyguard, Jesús V., was killed by shots being fired. The office stated that they were ambushed by gunmen inside a white truck, who fired fire "from the moving vehicle and then escaped." 

Authorities have not provided any specifics about the murder, but they have stated that a security operation has been begun to identify the individuals responsible. The lawmaker was previously kidnapped in September last year while leaving a shopping centre in Guadalajara, Jalisco, a neighbouring state of Michoacan. Three days later, the federal government reported that she had been recovered alive.

According to local media accounts at the time, the kidnappers were from the notorious Jalisco Cartel—New Generation (CJNG), and they allegedly threatened the mayor for resisting the criminal group's takeover of her municipality's police force

Women in positions of responsibility, such as Mayor Sanchez, face heightened risks and threats as they work diligently to serve their communities.

Context of Violence in Michoacán

Michoacán, despite its exquisite attractions for tourists and thriving agro-export business, remains one of Mexico's most violent states. The widespread presence of extortion and drug trafficking gangs has created a climate of fear and instability, posing major obstacles to governance and economic development. 

Mexico's Election marked by bloodshed

At least 23 political candidates were murdered while campaigning ahead of the elections, including a mayoral candidate whose assassination was caught on tape last week. Alfredo Cabrera died barely one day after a mayoral candidate in the central Mexican state of Morelos was assassinated. The week prior, nine people had been murdered in two attacks on mayoral candidates in the southern state of Chiapas. Both candidates survived. 

Last month, six people were killed in an ambush following a campaign event in the municipality of La Concordia, which borders Villa Corzo. Furthermore, a mayoral candidate was shot dead shortly after she began campaigning. On election day, around 27,000 soldiers and National Guard men were sent to provide additional security.