San Miguel Amatitlán Mayor Jose Angel Bravo Martínez died after being shot in an attack in the state’s Mixteca region, officials said.
Organized criminal groups, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known as the CJNG, and the Sinaloa Cartel are active in Oaxaca, which borders the Pacific Ocean.
“In Oaxaca, we will not let violence prevail over the law or the will of our communities,” state Governor Salomon Jara said in a post on Instagram.
What do we know about the murder of the mayor in Oaxaca state?
The mayor of San Miguel Amatitlán, home to about 7,000 people, was a member of the PAN (National Action Party), part of a coalition of opposition parties.
In a statement, state prosecutors said It “immediately activated its investigative protocols for high-impact crimes” upon learning of the attack.
Prosecutors also said police presence had been increased in the area and a tactical team had been deployed “to close escape routes and locate those responsible”.
Authorities did not immediately provide further details about a possible motive for the killing.
Political violence is common in parts of Mexico
The security situation in Mexico is in the news as the FIFA World Cup begins in Mexico City on Thursday.
Local officials are often targets of violence, especially in rural parts of the country, where organized crime groups are influential.
Last month, Mario Hernández García, the mayor of Santiago Amoltepec, another city in Oaxaca, died in an attack that also killed two other people.
At least 60 politicians or MPs are expected to be killed in targeted killings in 2025, according to data collected by the NGO Causa en Comun.
Edited by: Carl Sexton
Don’t let algorithms hide news. If you rely on our team for reliable reporting, please take a moment Select us as your favorite source on Google by clicking here and pressing the “Star” or “Favorite” buttonThat’s why you’ll always see our verified news first.
<a href