Wednesday, May 14, 2025 - What began as a vibrant campaign rally turned into a deadly ambush in Texistepec, Veracruz, on Sunday night, May 11, when mayoral candidate Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez was fatally shot during a Facebook livestream. The attack also claimed the lives of three others and left three people injured.
The chilling footage, still available on Gutiérrez’s Facebook
page the following day, shows the Morena party candidate greeting residents and
walking with supporters in a festive parade. The mood quickly shifted to panic
as around 20 gunshots rang out off-camera, sending the crowd fleeing.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the
assassination during her Monday morning press briefing, stating that the
federal government is in contact with state authorities and ready to offer
additional support through the Secretary of Security and the attorney general’s
office.
“We are coordinating closely,
especially with Veracruz and Durango, given the electoral period leading up to
the June 1 elections,” Sheinbaum said.
Gutiérrez, a candidate from the ruling Morena party, was
among the four people killed in the sudden attack, the Veracruz state attorney
general’s office confirmed. Authorities say the motive is still unknown, but an
investigation is underway.
In the Mexican state of Veracruz, mayoral candidate
Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez was shot dead on livestream during a campaign event in
the city of Texistepec. Three other people were also killed in the ambush.
“No political position is worth a human life,” said Veracruz
Governor Rocío Nahle on X (formerly Twitter). “We will find those responsible
for this cowardly murder.”
Violence against political figures has surged in Mexico,
particularly during election seasons. Human rights group Data Cívica reported a
record 661 attacks on political figures and facilities last year, most
targeting local-level candidates.
This is not the first high-profile killing in recent months.
In May 2024, a mayoral hopeful was shot dead during a campaign stop in
Guerrero. Days later, the mayor of Cotija in Michoacán was gunned down, and in
October, the mayor of Chilpancingo, Guerrero’s capital, was assassinated just
days after taking office.
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