May be murdered by the mayoral candidate during the broadcast of the live rally

What began on Sunday night as a festive election rally in the Mexican state of Veracruz quickly turned into a horror scene when a mayoral candidate was shot dead during a live broadcast on the social network Facebook Yesenio Laro Gutiérrez And three other people. The attack occurred while Lara Gutiérrez welcomed residents between the parade through the streets of Texistepec, surrounded by followers, reports Cnn.

Live on Facebook, he captured the moments before the attack, where it looked a smiling crowd that exclaimed passwords in support of the candidate. The idyll then interrupted the shooting, which was heard outside the reach of the camera and override the exclamations. In a video that was reported Cnn The next day, available on the Facebook profile of Lara Gutiérrez, about twenty shots were heard.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum She confirmed the attack at his Monday morning press conference and said that they have no information on the motive for the time being. She added that her government was coordinating with the authorities of the Veracruz state, and offered federal assistance if necessary, including contact with the Office of the Attorney General. « We coordinate, especially with the Security Secretariat and with all the necessary support in this election period for Veracruz and Durango, » the president said, referring to the upcoming elections on June 1 in these two states.

The mayoral candidate, a member of the ruling party Morena, President Sheinbaum, was one of four deaths, the Attorney General said. Three more people were injured in the attack. Authorities are still investigating the matter and promising the right. « No position or function is worthy of human life, » Governor wrote on the X network Religacrosis Rocío nahle. « We will find those responsible for this cowardly murder of candidate Morena and supporters in Texistepec. »

The Office of the Attorney General Veracruz (FGE) confirmed that three men were killed in addition to Lara Gutiérrez. They explained that the wounded were receiving medical attention and that they were investigating the crime intensively. According to media reports and FGE statements, at least two people are expected to be carried out.

Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, 49 years old, was a widow Enrique Argüellesa former councilor in Texistepec, who was murdered in 2022. On Sunday morning, just hours before the attack, she wrote on her Facebook page: « The power of our young people is vitality that motivates me to continue my journey day by day. »

A wave of violence over politicians continues

The murder of Lara Gutiérrez is not an isolated case. Attacks on political candidates in Mexico are common during election periods, especially at the local level, where politicians are more exposed to the impact of organized crime, cartels and corruption related to drug trafficking. In 2024, the state dealt with a record number of victims of political-criminal violence; Human Rights Organization Data cívica reported 661 attacks on persons and objects.

As reported Mexico News Dailywhich refers to the Integralia Counseling Company of Ciudad de Méxica, 104 incidents of political violence, including fifty murders, were addressed in the first quarter of 2025. Although 104 incidents represented a 59.2 % reduction compared to the first quarter of last year, the numbers remain high.

The Integralia report also shows that as many as 81.7 percent were victims of political violence in the first quarter of this year of current or former municipal officials or persons who were running for municipal positions. According to Integralia, this testifies to the « institutional fragility of this level of power, especially when attempting to infiltrate organized crime. »

In the first quarter of 2025, the state of Morelos confirmed the majority of political violence incidents (17), Veracruz was second with thirteen incidents, followed by Oaxac (12), Pueblo (11) and Guerrero (9). The party whose officials and candidates were the most common target was the ruling Morena. Integralia explains that this is partly due to the high « concentration of elected positions occupied by Morena. »

The murder of Lara Gutiérrez occurred only twelve days after he was shot in Veracruz in the northern municipality of Coxquihui Germán anar Valenciaalso the mayoral candidate of the Morena party. New York Post It also reports the murder of two federal agents on Monday in the second part of Veracruz. Criminal violence has claimed about 480,000 deaths in Mexico since 2006, according to AFP.

In Veracruz, on June 1, new mayors will be elected in all 212 municipalities. On the same day, the first judicial elections in the history of the country will be held throughout Mexico. Extensive violence, however, throws a dark shadow on democratic processes in the country and puts the security of those who choose to enter the political arena into uncertainty.