What You Need to Know:
On Saturday night, Mayoral candidate for the city of Puebla, Jaime González Pérez, was killed in front of his wife and child by multiple armed assailants.
Pérez, who joined the Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena) Party in 2023 was killed almost exactly a month after Miguel Zavala, Morena’s mayoral candidate for Maravatio city in Michoacán state, was shot dead while at work on February 26th.
In early November last year, the body of Dagoberto García Rivera, the leader of Morena in Michoacán state was found dead.
No suspects have been identified for any of the three killings, but those responsible are likely the same cartels thought to be responsible for the killing of Kristel García Hurtado, Michoacán’s regional police commissioner on March 19th.
Michoa?an and the city of Puebla, where the attacks took place, are separated by Mexico City, which is an important center for the rival Sinaloa and Los Zetas cartels.
Additionally, the equally violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and the United Cartel (Cárteles Unidos), whose main rival is the CJNG, also operate in Michoacán.
The Details:
The Morena party has ruled Mexico since 2018, and is Mexico’s largest political party in terms of registered members. However, with the nations general election occurring on the 2nd of June this year, the murders of political candidates signal the cartel’s attempts at ensuring ‘cartel-friendly’ politicians are selected to rule the various cities and regions in which they operate.
The June election will select a new President to rule for a period of six years, as well as elect new members for the 500-seat Chamber of Deputies, and 128 members for the Senate of the Republic.
Analysis:
Seen by some as a ‘watershed’ election, as two of the three Presidential candidates are Female, it is likely political assassinations will increase in the period leading up to the election, as cartel leaders will be intent on ensuring the placement of politicians in their localities which, through various means, allow their illegal activities to continue.