Candidates meet violent ends as Mexico heads to polls under the shadow of drug cartels.
A candidate contesting local polls in central Mexico was shot dead late on Friday, taking the death toll of assassinated aspirants to 37 even as residents get ready to cast votes on Sunday. Jorge Huerta Cabrera, running for a council seat in the Puebla town of Izucar de Matamoros, fell victim to the attack, according to authorities.
Data reveals this is the bloodiest Mexican electoral season in recent history, surpassing last year, which saw 36 similar casualties.
Rife violence has emerged as a burning poll issue as powerful drug cartels hold a grip over large swathes of the nation alongside corrupt local governments. Critics argue the continuing murder rate undercuts President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s progressive agenda, leveling the opposition’s case for reform.
Frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum seeks to become Mexico’s first woman chief executive in this high-stakes Presidential race. However, research organizations flag risks for those challenging criminal designs through electoral routes.
Threats have increased so much that over 500 candidates and officers were covered under state security. But challenges persist, with another local aspirant getting shot point-blank this week.
Experts point to converging political motives with organized crime designs to undermine grassroots empowerment and accountability. Mexico goes to polls haunted by the specter of lawlessness, seeking more resolute governance to check the mayhem costing innocent lives.
