by Mick the Ram

The mayor of a Mexican city that is notorious for drug-plagued violence has been murdered just six days into office.

Alejandro Arcos was found dead on Sunday 6 October in Chilpancingo, the state capital of Guerrero in the south-west of the country, with unverified reports suggesting he had been decapitated.

His death came just three days after the city government’s new secretary, Francisco Tapia, was shot dead and these two murders are just the latest in a series of attacks on politicians in Mexico.

With Guerrero being located on the Pacific coast smuggling routes, it has become a prime target for criminal gangs.

More than 450,000 people have been murdered and tens of thousands have gone missing across the country since the government deployed the army to combat drug trafficking in 2006.

Awaiting verification on brutality of murder

Authorities have not released full details of the incident, although Evelyn Salgado, the state governor, said the city was in mourning over a murder that “fills us with indignation”.

Local media reported that Mr Arcos was decapitated and suggestions are that photos have been circulating on WhatsApp showing a severed head on top of what appeared to be his vehicle, but nothing has been substantiated and authenticity is being questioned.

Un-governable

The mayor’s social media posts show that he had spent his days in office supervising disaster relief efforts following the severe flooding caused by last month’s Hurricane John.

Alejandro Moreno, a Mexican senator, said Arcos and Tapia were “young and honest officials who sought progress for their community”.

He then called on federal authorities to take charge of the investigation given the “un-governability” of the state of Guerrero.

Turf war

Chilpancingo has long been the scene of turf battles between two cartels – the Ardillos and the Tlacos – fighting for control of drug production and trafficking.

This has made the city and the wider Guerrero area one of the most dangerous in Mexico with 1,890 murders recorded last year; this in a state that was once better known for its beachside resort of Acapulco, but is now ravaged by crime.

No stranger to violence

It was in the city of Chilpancingo in 2023 where a demonstration was held by hundreds of people, which had actually been organised by criminals to secure the release of two gang leaders arrested for the possession of drugs and weapons, officials later confirmed.

The demonstrators blocked most traffic on the road between Mexico City and Acapulco for two days full days and fought security officials before using a police truck to ram down the gates of the state legislative building.

State and federal officials, along with several police officers were then taken hostage and only released when the demands set by the demonstrators had been met.

Avoidance is advised

The problems are occurring across the country, but in Guerrero it does seem to be especially dangerous for aspiring and elected public officials, with at least six candidates killed in the state ahead of elections at the beginning of June.

It certainly has lost its appeal for many on the tourist front; indeed Guerrero is now among six states in Mexico that the U.S. State department advises all Americans to completely avoid.

Big task facing president

Running hand in hand with the drug trade, much of the problems are connected to corruption and tackling the cartel dominance and associated violence are high up on the list of major challenges facing Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first woman president.