The mayor of Uruapan, a municipality in Mexico’s western state of Michoacán, was shot dead on Saturday evening in front of dozens of residents and visitors who had gathered in the town’s historic centre to mark the Day of the Dead.
Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, who had been in office for just over a year, was attacked by an unidentified gunman who fired seven shots at close range. The mayor was rushed to hospital but later died of his injuries, according to the state prosecutor, Carlos Torres Piña. A city council member and one of the mayor’s bodyguards were also wounded in the assault.
Federal security secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed that the weapon used in the killing had been linked to two previous armed clashes between rival criminal groups operating in the region. He said no line of investigation was being ruled out, describing the murder as a “cowardly act” that demanded full clarification.
Michoacán has long been one of Mexico’s most violent states, plagued by the presence of competing cartels and criminal organisations fighting for control of territory, drug trafficking routes and other illicit activities. Uruapan, an agricultural hub, has been particularly affected by violence in recent years.
On Sunday, grief and anger spilled onto the streets as hundreds of residents, many dressed in black and carrying photographs of the slain mayor, joined a funeral procession through the town. Chants of “Justice, justice. Out with Morena” echoed through the narrow streets, a direct rebuke to the ruling party of President Claudia Sheinbaum.
At the head of the cortege, a man led Manzo Rodríguez’s black horse, with one of the mayor’s trademark hats placed on the saddle. Behind them, a group of musicians, also dressed in black, played sombre mariachi songs. The procession was heavily guarded by police and military officers, underscoring the tense atmosphere in the town.
The mayor’s killing was captured on video and quickly circulated on social media. The footage shows residents and tourists enjoying the Day of the Dead festivities before gunfire erupts, sending crowds fleeing in panic. In another recording, a person is seen lying on the ground as an official attempts to perform CPR.
Manzo Rodríguez had been under official protection since December 2024, three months after assuming office. His security detail was reinforced in May with municipal police and 14 members of the national guard, though García Harfuch did not specify what had prompted the additional measures.
The mayor, a former legislator for the Morena party before breaking away to run as an independent, had earned the nickname “the Mexican Bukele” for his outspoken stance on security and his calls for tougher measures against organised crime. In recent months, he had publicly appealed to President Sheinbaum for greater federal support in confronting the cartels. He also accused Michoacán’s governor, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, and the state police of corruption, further heightening political tensions.
His death follows a series of violent attacks against public figures in the state. In June, Salvador Bastidas, the mayor of Tacámbaro, was killed along with his bodyguard outside his home. In October 2024, journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís was shot dead in Uruapan shortly after conducting an interview with Manzo Rodríguez.
The latest killing has intensified concerns about the ability of local and federal authorities to protect elected officials and journalists in regions dominated by organised crime. Analysts warn that the violence undermines democratic governance and deters civic participation, as communities live under the shadow of intimidation and fear.
