Gunmen fatally shoot Mexican mayor who wanted to take down drug gangs

A Mexican mayor, who was up against drug traffickers in the state of Michoacan, was fatally shot during a public event on Saturday (Nov 1), the authorities said. Carlos Manzo was attending a cultural gathering of the Day of the Dead outside a church in Uruapan when gunmen opened fire on him. Reportedly, two suspects have been arrested, while one of the assailants was killed at the scene.

Manzo had repeatedly asked President Claudia Sheinbaum for more resources to tackle drug traffickers in his state. The killing highlights the persistent threat of gang violence in Mexico, with local officials often becoming targets. Despite efforts by the government, organised crime has remained one of the significant struggles in the country to maintain public safety. For years, the state of Michoacan has suffered violence from powerful drug cartels operating in the agricultural region seeking to extort farmers.

According to a video posted on his social media handle, Manzo had been attending a candlelight ceremony in Uruapan. He was attacked shortly after 8 pm and later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The authorities have not yet determined the motive of the murder.

The shooting came days after Michoacan farmer representative Bernardo Bravo was shot dead. He often voiced his stance against extortion by crime gangs. Last month, the mayor of Pisaflores was gunned down by armed assailants in central Mexico. In June, armed men barged into the office of a mayor in southern Mexico, killing her and a staff member. The next day, another mayor was found dead in the country’s west along with her husband.

Manzo, who became mayor in September 2024, sometimes joined security patrols on the streets wearing a bulletproof vest. In a video on his social media of one such patrol in June, he called on the federal government to make more do more to tackle violent crime.

The mayor had also criticised Sheinbaum’s approach in dealing with organised crime in the country and demanded additional help from the federal authorities. He also posted videos saying that he feared for his life. Last year, a journalist was shot dead moments before he interviewed Manzo in Uruapan.