14 May 2021 | 11:40 PM UTC
Mexico: Increase in electoral violence nationwide likely through June 6 midterms
Heightened potential for electoral violence likely throughout Mexico as June 6 midterms approach.
Event
The assassination of mayoral candidate Abel Murrieta in Cajeme, Sonora State, on May 13 has underscored the increased risk of electoral violence as Mexico's June 6 midterms approach. Murrieta, who served as attorney general for Sonora State from 2004 to 2012, was reportedly gunned down by unidentified assailants while at an afternoon campaign event; at least one other individual was injured during the incident.
Context
Mexico typically experiences a significant increase in acts of violence during election campaign periods. Due to the considerable influence of drug-trafficking organizations and gangs in the country, electoral campaigns tend to see spikes in targeted attacks against political figures. Since September 2020, over 80 politicians have reportedly been killed in the country, while over 200 candidates have requested federal protection. The killings put this 2021's electoral campaign on track to be one of the most violent in Mexico's modern history, although such comparisons are difficult to make due to the number of crimes - in particular kidnapping and extortion - that go unreported.
