At least five candidates or aspirants for elected office were murdered in Mexico during Februarybringing the total to 10 in the first two months of the year, the civil organization Data Cívica reported this Friday.
The number of homicides related to political violence rises to 36 when public officials and relatives of politicians are also considered.detailed the 'Vote between bullets' report in February.
Among the candidates murdered in February there is one of the opposition National Action Party (PAN)three of the ruler National Regeneration Movement (Morena) and one more of Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM)ally of the Government.
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The deceased candidates Jaime Vera, PVEM candidate for mayor of Mascota in Jalisco; Yair Martín Romero, candidate for federal representative of Morena of the State of Mexico, and Manuel Hernández, who sought to be a local representative in Veracruz for Morena.
The list is completed by Miguel Ángel Zavala, from Morena, and Armando Pérez Luna, from the PAN, who aspired to be municipal presidents of Maravatío in Michoacán.
In addition, Data Cívica recorded an armed attack, a threat and an attack against other candidates, both from the ruling party and the opposition.
In February we recorded the same level of violence against candidates for elected office as in January: 5 murders and 3 other attacks that were not lethal (attack, armed attack and threat). Although there were many more homicides of security officials,” the report noted.
Total, Data Cívica recorded 58 events associated with political-criminal violence in Februaryincluding threats, murders, armed attacks, attacks and kidnappings.
The 10 murders of the first two months of 2024 are added to the 11 homicides of candidates, precandidates and former candidates documented by Data Cívica since the second half of 2023, when the current electoral process began that culminates with the June 2 elections.
From January 2018 to December 2023, the organization documented 105 murders of candidates, pre-candidates and former candidates.
When also taking into account attacks and threats, the association reported 574 acts of criminal-electoral violence in 2023, which represents the highest number since this record began.
Mexico celebrates the largest elections in its history on June 2, when more than 97 million people are called to renew 20,375 federal positions, including the Presidency of the Republic, the 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and the 128 in the Senate. as well as nine state governments.
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