Mexico: Another Mayoral Candidate Shot Dead Ahead of Election Day
Mexico: Another Mayoral Candidate Shot Dead Ahead of Election Day
The Facts
...Alfredo Cabrera, who was running for mayor in the Guerrero state town of Coyuca de Benítez, was gunned down during his closing campaign rally ahead of nationwide elections in Mexico this weekend.
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The Spin
It has been quite common in Mexico for criminal organizations to engage in pre-election violence at the municipal level as influence over local power is crucial to their business and much easier to hold than at a state or federal level. This was their latest — but certainly not their last — attempt to get their preferred candidate elected.
While there is indeed a correlation between gang violence and political violence in some Mexican states, this oversimplification fails to explain how political violence can be high despite relatively low levels of gang-related crimes. Power dynamics and local-level disputes also contribute to this worrisome trend.
