In a shocking act of political violence, just days before the country’s federal elections, a Mexican mayoral candidate has been assassinated at a campaign rally.
Alfredo Cabrera was executed at close range in the southern state of Guerrero.
The assassination happened in broad daylight and was captured on video.
It shows the attacker approach Cabrera from behind before firing several shots.
Cabrera was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was meeting with supporters in the town of Coyuca de Benítez when he was shot dead.
Mexico is rife with political violence, often tied to the criminal drug cartels.
The violence is escalating ahead of Sunday’s elections for the presidency, Congress, and local government.
Since September, at least 20 candidates, mainly for local office, have been killed, according to official figures.
In many cases, the violence has been tied to drug cartels battling over control of local governments.
Cabrera was part of a coalition of center-right opposition parties that is being led by businesswoman and senator Xóchitl Gálvez.
Gálvez is one of the two leading candidates for the presidency.
She condemned Cabrera’s murder in a statement.
Gálvez said she had “no words to express the indignation I feel.”
She called Cabrera “a generous and upstanding man.”
Gálvez is running second in the polls behind Claudia Sheinbaum, the former mayor of Mexico City.
Sheinbaum is also an ally of outgoing socialist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The opposition PRI party accused Obrador’s ruling Morena party of failing to protect candidates.
“It is a shame that the Morena government has not made even the slightest effort to guarantee the safety of the candidates and that this campaign ends violently,” the party said.
Obrador’s critics have accused him of going soft on crime with a “hugs not bullets” agenda.
The socialist leader claims his policies aim to tackle the “root causes” of crime by reducing poverty.
Nevertheless, violent crime has soared under his leadership.
“Are we going to continue with hugs, or are we going to apply the law to criminals?” Gálvez said at a rally Wednesday.
“Mexico wants peace, wants tranquility.”
In separate attacks, mayoral candidate Ricardo Arizmendi was shot dead in Morelos state on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Gilberto Palomar, another mayoral candidate, was injured in a shooting at his home.
Organized crime in Mexico has a large impact on the United States, as well, which has suffered from an influx of deadly drugs like fentanyl.
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