PICTURES: Mexican mayor assassinated days after taking office
The mayor of Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero—one of Mexico’s most violence-stricken states—was confirmed killed on Sunday, just six days after taking office.
Alejandro Arcos, who served a city of approximately 280,000 residents, was mourned by Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado, who expressed that “his loss grieves the entire Guerrero community and fills us with indignation,” in a statement shared on social media.
Guerrero’s state attorney general’s office also said it was investigating his murder.
The official confirmation came after photos circulated on messaging app WhatsApp depicting a severed head on top of a pick-up truck, appearing to be that of Arcos.
Newsmen could not independently verify the photos’ authenticity.
Arcos’ death comes just three days after the new city government’s secretary, Francisco Tapia, was shot to death.
“They were young and honest officials who sought progress for their community,” Senator Alejandro Moreno wrote on social media.
Moreno, who is the head of Mexico’s PRI political party, called on the federal attorney general’s office to lead the investigation into Arcos and Tapia’s murders, given “the situation of ungovernability in Guerrero.”
Guerrero has become one of the deadliest states for aspiring and elected public officials, as well as for journalists.
At least six candidates for public office were killed in the state in the run-up to Mexico’s June 2 elections.
Arcos’ social media posts show the mayor in recent days had been supervising disaster relief efforts following the impact of Hurricane John last month, which caused severe flooding in beach resort Acapulco and surrounding towns.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
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