Four mayors in Mexico are demanding more security detail. The politicians’ requests come due to safety concerns stemming from the death of newly elected Mayor Alejandro Arcos, who was reportedly murdered just days into the job.
Mexican federal authorities announced on Tuesday, Oct. 8, that the request for federal protection came just a day after Arcos’ remains were found on Monday, Oct. 7. The requests for added security came from the Guerrero state and another state, Guanajuato, which has also been rocked by gang violence.
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Meanwhile, few details have been released on Arcos’ homicide, but he did tell local reporters before his death that he needed more protection.
Mexico has recently been gripped by violence against public officials. In the lead up to the June election, at least 24 politicians were reportedly murdered, including a mayor in western Mexico, who was gunned down along with her bodyguard while leaving a gym, just hours after Claudia Sheinbaum won the Mexican presidency.
Sheinbaum laid out a plan on Tuesday to quell drug cartel violence. However, experts argue it’s the same approach as her predecessor who dubbed his tactics the “Hugs, Not Bullets” policy. Sheinbaum blames the violence largely on low wages and her solution is to rely on armed forces and appeals to criminal organizations to keep the peace.
A Mexican security analyst doesn’t agree with Sheinbaum, and instead said that the more likely cause of violence is cartels fighting over territory to smuggle drugs across the U.S. border.