Just hours before the start of voting, Mexican authorities reported the shooting murder of Israel Delgado Vega, a candidate for trustee of the municipality of Cuitzeo in Michoacan state. The 35-year-old was running for the position on a ticket led by Rosa Elia Milan Pintor, the current mayor seeking reelection for the same alliance of PT-Morena-PVEM.
Delgado Vega was killed outside his home in San Juan Benito Juárez by two men on a motorcycle using a .223 caliber assault rifle. This incident marks yet another violent event leading up to the election, following in the footsteps of Marcelino Pérez Aguilar, the husband of Milan Pintor, who was killed in June 2021, and Francisco Díaz Rodríguez, who served as Milan Pintor’s trustee and was kidnapped and murdered in April 2022.
These events highlight the electoral violence that has plagued Mexico in recent times. The State Prosecutor’s Office in Michoacán has reported nine pre-candidates or public officials murdered during this electoral process, as well as three more politicians who have gone missing. Additionally, 84 voting centers will not open due to security concerns or conflicts in Michoacán.
Cuitzeo is located north of Morelia and is known for its presence of drug trafficking and organized crime groups who often engage in fuel theft from pipelines through a practice called “huachicol.” These issues contribute to instability and violence in the region and make it challenging for political candidates and officials to carry out their duties safely.
The situation in Michoacán reflects broader concerns about electoral violence across Mexico where multiple incidents of violence and intimidation have been reported leading up to the election. The government and electoral authorities are working tirelessly to address these challenges and ensure that candidates and voters can exercise their right to vote without fear or intimidation.
