Mexican Mayor Assassinated During Day of the Dead Celebration Amid Rising Cartel Violence

Manzo was fatally shot while attending a Day of the Dead celebration in the city center.

Mexico:

Armed assailants killed the mayor of a Mexican city during a public event on Saturday, according to official statements from authorities. The incident occurred in a region known for violence and organized criminal activity.

Carlos Manzo, who served as the mayor of Uruapan in western Michoacan state, was gunned down during an attack in the city's central area, as confirmed by the national public security agency in an official statement.

"Two individuals connected to the incident have been apprehended, while one of the attackers lost his life," the agency reported.

The state of Michoacan has long been afflicted by violence from powerful drug cartels operating throughout the agricultural region, who systematically attempt to extort local farmers.

The attack on Manzo took place during a community celebration for the Day of the Dead.

Footage circulated online showed attendees fleeing the crowded event after gunshots disrupted the gathering.

Manzo had assumed office as mayor in September 2024 and was known to occasionally participate in security patrols throughout the city while wearing protective body armor.

In a social media video from one such patrol conducted in June, he publicly called on the federal government to increase efforts against violent crime in the region.

His assassination occurred just days after Michoacan farmer representative Bernardo Bravo, who was vocal against extortion practices by criminal organizations, was also murdered.

Mexico, which has struggled with drug-related violence for nearly twenty years, has witnessed numerous local political figures assassinated in recent times.

In the previous month, armed attackers killed the mayor of Pisaflores in central Mexico.

This past June, armed individuals entered a mayor's office in southern Mexico, killing her and a staff member. The following day, another mayor in western Mexico was murdered alongside her husband.