The regional government reported the murder of a mayor from a western Mexican town on Monday, less than a day after Claudia Sheinbaum made history as the first female president of the country.
The Michoacan state government expressed strong disapproval “the murder of the municipal president (mayor) of Cotija, Yolanda Sanchez Figueroa”, according to a statement shared on the social media platform X by the regional interior ministry.
The assassination of the female mayor occurred following Sheinbaum’s overwhelming victory, which brought optimism for change to a country deeply affected by pervasive gender-based violence. According to local media reports, Sanchez, who was elected as mayor in the 2021 elections, was fatally shot on a public thoroughfare.
According to reports from local media, Sanchez, who was elected as mayor in the 2021 elections, was fatally shot while on a public road. While authorities have not disclosed detailed information about the incident, they have confirmed the launch of a security operation to apprehend the perpetrators.
This isn’t the first time the politician faced danger; she was previously kidnapped in September of the preceding year while leaving a shopping mall in Guadalajara, situated in the neighboring state of Jalisco. The federal government announced her safe discovery three days later. At the time, local media reported that the abductors were linked to the influential Jalisco Cartel – New Generation (CJNG), allegedly targeting the mayor for her resistance against the criminal organization’s efforts to control her municipality’s police force.
Michoacan is famous for its tourist attractions and flourishing agro-export sector but suffers from high levels of violence, attributed to the presence of extortion and drug trafficking gangs.
