Mexico Vows Justice After Assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has vowed full justice for the killing of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, a vocal critic of organized crime who was gunned down during a Day of the Dead event in Michoacan. The 40-year-old mayor, known for his outspoken stance against cartels, was shot on Saturday while attending the festival in Uruapan’s city center. Authorities confirmed two arrests and one suspect dead following the attack.

Sheinbaum convened an emergency meeting of her security cabinet and denounced the “vile” assassination, promising that the government would pursue “zero impunity and full justice.” A march was held in Morelia, the state capital, demanding accountability and an end to corruption and violence.

Manzo, one of Mexico’s few independent politicians, had been mayor since September 2024. Constantly wearing a bulletproof vest, he repeatedly urged the federal government to intensify its fight against organized crime and warned publicly of threats to his life. “I don’t want to be just another mayor on the list of those executed,” he said in September.

Uruapan, known as Mexico’s “avocado capital,” has long been plagued by extortion and cartel activity linked to the lucrative avocado industry. The city’s economic importance has made it a battleground for criminal groups seeking control.

Mexico’s Security Minister Omar Harfuch said Manzo had federal protection since December 2024, including 14 National Guard officers. He stated that attackers exploited “the vulnerability of a public event” but assured the public there would be “no impunity.”

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau condemned the murder, pledging to strengthen bilateral cooperation against organized crime.

The killing underscores Mexico’s ongoing crisis of violence against local officials and journalists, highlighting the deadly intersection of politics, corruption, and organized crime in regions controlled by cartels.