Calls for justice after Mexico mayor killed during Day of the Dead festival

Carlos Manzo, an outspoken professional of organised crime, was changeable dormant during a nationalist festival successful the metropolis of Uruapan.

Mexicans successful the occidental authorities of Michoacan person called for justness aft a section politician and outspoken professional of organised transgression was changeable dormant portion attending a Day of the Dead festival successful the metropolis of Uruapan.

Hundreds of Uruapan residents, dressed successful black, took to the city’s streets connected Sunday to travel Carlos Manzo’s ceremonial procession and bid farewell to the slain mayor.

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They chanted “Justice! Justice! Out with Morena!”, a notation to the governing enactment of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Manzo, the politician of the Uruapan municipality, was changeable dormant connected Saturday nighttime successful the town’s historical centre. He was rushed to a hospital, wherever helium aboriginal died. He was 40 years old.

A metropolis assembly subordinate and a bodyguard were besides wounded successful the attack.

People hug each different and mourn during the ceremonial of Carlos Manzo successful Uruapan, Mexico, November 2, 2025 [Ivan Arias/ Reuters]

The attacker was killed astatine the scene, Federal Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch told journalists connected Sunday.

The onslaught was carried retired by an unidentified antheral who changeable the politician 7 times, Harfuch said. The limb was linked to 2 equipped clashes betwixt rival transgression groups operating successful the region, helium added.

“No enactment of probe is being ruled retired to clarify this cowardly enactment that took the beingness of the mayor,” Harfuch said.

‘Vile’ assassination

The Mexican president promised determination would beryllium justice.

Sheinbaum called an exigency gathering of her information furniture connected Sunday morning, aboriginal condemning Manzo’s “vile” assassination successful a connection connected X.

“We reaffirm our committedness to deploy each the State’s efforts to execute bid and information with zero impunity and afloat justice,” she wrote.

Manzo had been Uruapan’s politician since September 2024.

Since taking office, Manzo, often seen wearing a bulletproof vest, had called connected the national authorities to bash much to combat organised transgression portion expressing fears for his safety.

“I don’t privation to beryllium conscionable different politician connected the database of those executed, those whose lives person been taken from them,” Manzo said successful an interrogation successful September with Mexican writer Joaquin Lopez-Doriga.

Uruapan has been called Mexico’s avocado superior due to the fact that it sits successful the bosom of Michoacan’s avocado-growing region. The manufacture has seen accelerated maturation owed to booming US demand, making avocado accumulation a people for organised transgression groups.

Multiple politicians, including different mayors, and journalists person been killed successful caller months and years.

“How galore mayors person they killed due to the fact that they opposed making these pacts with organised crime?” Manzo asked successful different September interrogation with Mexico’s Milenio TV. He appealed to Sheinbaum for stronger nationalist information measures and said Uruapan’s avocado manufacture gave it value up of a coming reappraisal of Mexico’s commercialized woody with the United States and Canada.

According to Harfuch, the information minister, Manzo had been nether extortion since December 2024, 3 months aft taking office. His information was reinforced past May with municipal constabulary and 14 National Guard officers, Harfuch said.

“The aggressors took vantage of the vulnerability of a nationalist event,” Harfuch said, referring to Manzo’s murder. “Be definite that determination volition beryllium nary impunity.”

Officials successful the United States besides condemned the killing.

“The US stands acceptable to deepen information practice with Mexico to hitch retired organised transgression connected some sides of the border,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote connected X, sharing a photograph of Manzo with his young lad soon earlier the mayor’s murder.

The mayor’s sidesplitting follows the decease of Salvador Bastidas, politician of the municipality of Tacambaro, besides successful Michoacan. Bastidas was killed successful June on with his bodyguard arsenic helium arrived astatine his location successful the town’s Centro neighbourhood.

In October 2024, writer Mauricio Cruz Solis was besides changeable successful Uruapan soon aft interviewing Manzo.