Judge shot dead outside courthouse in Mexico

Thursday, December 12, 2024 - A judge was shot dead on Wednesday, December 11, in Acapulco, once a glamorous beach destination now plagued by violence, local media and the Guerrero state prosecutor’s office have confirmed.

Local reports identified the victim as Edmundo Román Pinzón, president of the Superior Court of Justice in Guerrero state. He was reportedly shot at least four times while in his car outside a courthouse in Acapulco.

The Guerrero state prosecutor’s office released a statement confirming it was “investigating the crime of aggravated homicide against Edmundo N,” in line with the practice of withholding full names.

This killing is the latest in a string of violent incidents in the state. In October, the mayor of Chilpancingo, the state capital, was murdered and decapitated just days after taking office. Weeks later, clashes between alleged gang members and security forces left 19 people dead in the region. Last month, a dozen dismembered bodies were found in vehicles in Chilpancingo.

Acapulco, Guerrero’s largest city, was once a playground for celebrities and affluent tourists. However, escalating violence, much of it linked to drug cartels, has transformed it into one of the world’s most dangerous cities, deterring international visitors over the past decade.

The k!lling occurred just over a week after President Claudia Sheinbaum convened a meeting of the National Public Security Council in Acapulco, which was attended by state governors.

Since 2006, when Mexico launched a government offensive against organized crime, the country has recorded more than 450,000 murders, much of it attributed to spiraling drug-related violence.

Sheinbaum, who took office in October as Mexico’s first female president, has ruled out reviving the controversial “war on drugs” strategy. Instead, she has vowed to continue her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s “hugs not bullets” policy, which focuses on addressing the root causes of crime through social programs.

Despite these efforts, Guerrero remains one of Mexico’s most violent states, with 1,890 murders recorded last year.