nine dead in two attacks against candidates in the south of the country

In the run-up to the June 2 elections, several dozen candidates for local office were killed across the country.

Nine people were killed in two attacks against candidates in the local elections on June 2 in Chiapas, in southern Mexico, the prosecutor’s office in this region, a target of organized crime, announced on Sunday, May 19. One of the two candidates was injured in these attacks which occurred during the night from Saturday to Sunday in Villa Corzo and Mapastepec, the prosecution said.

The prosecution initially announced three deaths in Villa Corzo, before confirming that one injured person had died in hospital. In addition, five people were killed in Mapastepec. Overtaken by the violence of organized delinquency, Chiapas has for several days been experiencing attacks against candidates for municipal elections.

Six people were killed Thursday evening in Concordia near Villa Corzo, including candidate Lucero Lopez during an ambush after a campaign rally. In San Cristobal de las Casas, the tourist capital of Chiapas, the candidate for president of the municipal council of the Partido Verde, Linda Higuera Gutiérrez, also denounced an attack against her campaign team.

Since September, at least 28 candidates for local office have been assassinated across Mexico, according to the latest figures from the NGO Data Civica as of Thursday. The violence affects all parties, whether the ruling left-wing Morena, the PRI-PAN-PRD opposition coalition, or the Movimiento ciudadano. Cartels, bands or gangs seek to “impose candidates” in the elections, the prosecutor for electoral crimes in the state of Michoacan recently explained to AFP.

Mexico is preparing to organize the biggest elections in its history on June 2: presidential, Congress and Senate, nine governorates out of 32 states, and a myriad of local elections. A little more than 20,000 mandates are to be filled in total.