Mexican Mayor gunned down amid Day of the Dead celebrations

Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, the mayor of Uruapan in Mexico, was shot dead in a public plaza on Saturday night amid Day of the Dead celebrations, authorities reported. The attack, carried out by an unidentified assailant who fired seven shots, also left a city council member and a bodyguard injured.

State prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña confirmed that Manzo Rodríguez was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Federal security secretary Omar García Harfuch linked the weapon used in the attack to violent clashes between rival criminal groups operating in the area.

Michoacán is notorious for its violence, as various cartels vie for control over territories and drug routes.

Following the mayor's death, hundreds of Uruapan residents dressed in black participated in a funeral procession, demanding justice and expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling Morena party.

Manzo Rodríguez had previously sought help from President Claudia Sheinbaum to combat cartel violence in the state, accusing local officials of corruption.

He had been under protection since December 2024, with his security enhanced following threats.

The mayor's assassination mirrors the recent killing of Salvador Bastidas, the mayor of Tacámbaro, and highlights the ongoing dangers faced by public officials in the region.