A mayoral candidate was stabbed to death in northern Mexico on Friday, making him at least the 16th Mexican politician to be killed ahead of national elections scheduled for June 2, The Associated Press reported.
At the time of his untimely death, Noe Ramos Feletis was seeking re-election as mayor of Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas, a border state plagued by turf wars between drug cartels. news coverage. According to the report, Ramos was running in a coalition between the opposition National Action Party and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The PRI dominated Mexican politics for his 71 years, losing for the first time in the 2000 election. According to Reuters.
“As the government of the state of Tamaulipas, we condemn the incident that occurred in El Mante, where the accredited city council president, Noe Ramos Feletis, lost his life.” statement The state government made the announcement on Twitter.
Video of Americo Villarreal Anaya Governor The statement also included remarks from the state of Tamaulipas, which spoke to reporters about Feletis’ death at a press conference.
PRI leader Alejandro Moreno: “We condemn the despicable murder of Noe Ramos Feletis” said in part On Twitter.
According to the Associated Press, Ramos’ killing brings the number of politicians killed since January 2024 to at least 16, and statements of condemnation after the death of politicians have become commonplace in Mexico. (Related: Anonymous tip leads authorities to discover 27 ‘hacked’ bodies: report)
Berta Gaytan, a mayoral candidate in the city of Celaya in the north-central state of Guanajuato, was shot and killed on April 2, shortly after requesting police protection and settling down to campaign for mayor. Another AP report revealed. Gaetan reportedly belonged to the Morena political party of President Andres Manuel López Obrador, whose term ends in September.
On March 30, Guillermo Torres Rojas, the mayor of Chulumco, Michoacán, and his 14-year-old son were shot dead at a taco restaurant. According to the statement From the state attorney general. The mayor reportedly did not survive.
In late February, two mayoral candidates were shot and killed hours apart in different parts of Michoacán state, the Associated Press reported.
The paper said Mexican drug cartels try to influence local politics by fielding candidates or eliminating potential rivals, and President López Obrador said such a situation existed. Admitted.
“They make a pact and say, ‘This person is going to be mayor, this person is going to be mayor.'” “We don’t want anyone else to register to run.” And anyone who registers, well, they know what to expect,” López Obrador reportedly said.
The Mexican government reportedly responded to the killing by sending bodyguards to about 250 candidates. The paper noted that while mayoral candidates are the most vulnerable to attack, they are also often the least protected.
“We once again call on authorities to guarantee the protection of candidates on this election day. We will not allow violence to decide our elections!” Moreno’s statement added: .
