A mayor-elect was shot and killed on Monday in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, as reported by the State Prosecutor’s office. Salvador Villalva Flores, who had recently returned from a trip to Mexico City, was fatally shot while traveling on a bus through the town of San Pedro de las Playas.
Villalva Flores had been elected just 16 days prior to his scheduled inauguration in October as the mayor of Copala, a small town in the state of Sinaloa, roughly two hours north of the crime scene. He was a candidate for the center-left party México Avanza, which expressed its condolences in a Facebook post following the announcement of his death. His entry into politics was influenced by the assassination of his friend and a then-candidate from the Mexican Green Party PVEM in June 2023.
Villalva Flores, a Navy veteran, typically received protection from national guard personnel. However, he had requested to travel unaccompanied during this particular trip, a decision highlighted in reports by local sources.
The killing forms part of an alarming trend of political violence that has swept through Mexico, particularly in the lead-up to the June 2 national elections. At least 37 political candidates have been murdered amidst this surge in violence. On election day, voters were tasked with electing officials across more than 20,000 positions, including the president, Congress members, state governors, and local officials. This makes local politicians a prime target for violence.
Guerrero has emerged as a particularly dangerous area for political figures, with dozens of criminal organizations vying for control over territories. Earlier in the month, Esmeralda Garzón Campos, a councilwoman supporting the newly elected president Claudia Sheinbaum, was shot outside her home in the same state, marking another instance in this perilous climate. For further details, readers can refer to the original article on JURIST.