The mayor, Carlos Manzo, was an outspoken critic of organized crime. On Sunday, hundreds of residents from Uruapan, dressed in black, filled the city’s streets to accompany Manzo’s funeral procession and say goodbye to the slain mayor
By Asaye Bankole
People in Michoacan, a state in western Mexico, are demanding justice after a local mayor was killed while attending a Day of the Dead festival in Uruapan city.
The mayor, Carlos Manzo, was an outspoken critic of organized crime. On Sunday, hundreds of residents from Uruapan, dressed in black, filled the city’s streets to accompany Manzo’s funeral procession and say goodbye to the slain mayor.
Protesters chanted “Justice! Justice! Out with Morena!”, referring to the governing party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, as they demanded accountability for the assassination of Carlos Manzo, the 40-year-old mayor of Uruapan, who was shot dead on Saturday night in the town’s historic center.
Manzo was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. A city council member and a bodyguard were also wounded in the attack.
The attacker was killed at the scene, Federal Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch told journalists on Sunday.
The attack was carried out by an unidentified man who shot Mayor Carlos Manzo seven times, Harfuch said.
The weapon was linked to two armed clashes between rival criminal groups operating in the region, he added. “No line of investigation is being ruled out to clarify this cowardly act that took the life of the mayor,” Harfuch said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum promised there would be justice, calling an emergency meeting of her security cabinet on Sunday morning and later condemning Manzo’s “vile” assassination in a statement on X.
Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan, Mexico, was tragically murdered during a Day of the Dead festival, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for justice. Manzo, a vocal critic of organized crime, had repeatedly urged the government to enhance security measures, fearing for his safety.
He’d been under federal protection since December 2024, with 14 National Guard troops and local police providing security.
His murder highlights the alarming trend of violence against politicians and journalists in Mexico, particularly in Michoacan state, where Uruapan’s lucrative avocado industry has become a target for organized crime.
Manzo had appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for stronger public security measures, emphasizing Uruapan’s importance in Mexico’s trade deal with the US and Canada.
Sheinbaum has pledged justice, condemning the “vile” assassination and convening an emergency security cabinet meeting.
US officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, have also condemned the killing, offering to deepen security cooperation with Mexico to combat organized crime.
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