Mayoral candidate murdered in Mexico two days before vote
Al Jazeera
Jorge Huerta Cabrera, who was shot dead in Izucar de Matamoros, is the latest contender to be killed ahead of June 2 polls.
A candidate running for local office in Mexico’s central Puebla state has been killed at a political rally two days before the elections, adding to the toll of murdered contenders in what is seen as the country’s most violent polls on record.
Jorge Huerta Cabrera was shot dead on Friday in the city of Izucar de Matamoros where he was a candidate, according to the state prosecutor’s office.
The candidate’s wife and one of his colleagues were also wounded in the attack which was captured on video. The footage showed mayhem erupting at the rally after the shots rang out.
The killing takes the number of assassinated candidates in the 2024 election season to 37, one more than during the 2021 midterm election when 36 candidates were killed, according to data from security consultancy Integralia.
However, the federal government reported 22 candidates killed as of Tuesday. Since then, three more deaths have been recorded, AFP news agency reported.
