2 Mexico mayoral candidates from same town killed as political violence spirals

quote:

---

Two candidates for mayor in the Mexican city of Maravatio have been gunned down within hours of each other, leading to concerns that someone wants to influence the June 2 election. Experts have predicted that the widening control of drug cartels in Mexico could make the election especially violent. During the last nationwide election in 2021, about three dozen candidates were killed.

The campaigns haven't even started yet. They formally begin on Friday.

---

quote:

---

State prosecutors said Tuesday that Armando Pérez was found shot to death in his car in Maravatio just before midnight. He was the mayoral candidate for the conservative National Action Party.

---

quote:

---

Hours earlier, officials with the ruling Morena party confirmed their candidate, Miguel Ángel Zavala, was found shot to death Monday in his car.

---

quote:

---

The western state of Michoacan has been particularly hard hit by gang turf wars, with the Jalisco New Generation cartel fighting a local gang, the Viagras, for control.

---

quote:

---

The watchdog group Civic Data said in a January report on political violence that "2023 was the most violent year in our database. And everything suggests that 2024 will be worse."

Mayoral, state and federal elections are increasingly synchronized on one election day. "It is likely that the biggest elections in history will also suffer the biggest attacks from organized crime," Civic Data said.

---

quote:

---

Civic Data said five people intending to run for office were killed in Mexico in January.

---

quote:

---

Cartels make much of their money extorting protection payments from local businesses and even local governments. That's why mayoral races are more important to them than national elections and often become violent.

---