The incoming mayor of a community near Acapulco, a Mexican city known for its challenges with crime, was tragically killed on Monday morning, according to local law enforcement — marking another incident in a string of violent acts against political figures.
Salvador Villalba Flores, who was set to begin his term in October in Copala, a town with approximately 4,000 inhabitants located roughly 80 miles southeast of Acapulco, was fatally shot on a highway, state prosecutors in Guerrero announced.
An inquiry into the homicide has been initiated by the prosecutors, who have not disclosed additional information at this time.
El Sur de Guerrero, a regional newspaper, reported that Villalba was a former naval officer who typically had National Guard protection but was unaccompanied on his trip to Mexico City when the incident occurred.
The report detailed that Villalba was forcibly removed from the bus he was on when it stopped near San Pedro las Playas and then got shot.
It has also been reported by local news that Villalba entered the mayoral race following the murder of his friend, who was a candidate, in June 2023.
During Mexico’s general election on June 2, Claudia Sheinbaum made history as the country’s first female president with a resounding victory.
The election also saw Mexicans casting their votes for Congress members, several state governors, and numerous local officials — over 20,000 positions in total.
Since the commencement of Mexico’s electoral campaign last September, over two dozen political candidates have been murdered, as per Data Civica, an NGO.
This month witnessed another violent event where a local councilwoman was fatally shot outside her residence in Guerrero. This occurred shortly after the assassination of a western Mexican town’s mayor and her security personnel outside a fitness center, just hours following Sheinbaum’s presidential win.
Acapulco, formerly celebrated as a hotspot for celebrities and affluent visitors, has seen its appeal diminish over the past decade due to violence that has deterred international tourists and ranked it among the most dangerous cities globally.
In Acapulco last month, an armed assault resulted in five deaths. This incident happened only three days after the discovery of 10 other bodies within the city.
Guerrero state, which is strategically located along Mexico’s Pacific coast and thus heavily impacted by drug cartel violence, recorded 1,890 homicides in 2023.
Since the Mexican government’s decision in 2006 to deploy the military against drug trafficking operations, over 450,000 individuals have been killed and thousands have disappeared.
Source: CBS
