4 Mexico Mayors Request Protection After Recent Killing of City Mayor

Supporters of slain Mayor Alejandro Arcos place candles and flowers at the entrance of the municipal building one week after he took office in Chilpancingo, Mexico, on Oct. 7, 2024. Alejandrino Gonzalez AP Photo

Four mayors in Mexico have sought protection from federal authorities following the death of a city mayor, who was beheaded just days after taking office, a local official said on Tuesday.

Alejandro Arcos was killed less than a week after being sworn in on Sept. 30 as mayor of Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero state. His murder sparked fears after photos of his severed head on top of a pickup truck circulated on social media.

Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch told reporters on Oct. 8 that four mayors from the states of Guerrero and Guanajuato have requested protection, but he did not explain why.

Garcia Harfuch said that the investigation into the mayor’s murder determined that Arcos had gone to a private meeting without any security escort prior to his death.

“We know that he was going to a specific meeting, that he was not accompanied by someone. Communication was lost in a community, and ... hours later, the mayor’s body was found,” he said.

It remains unclear who was responsible for the mayor’s killing.

Garcia Harfuch stated that Arcos did not formally request extra protection, despite reports claiming that the mayor had told local media that he wanted security.

Alejandro Moreno, leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, said on Oct. 7 that the city government’s secretary, Francisco Tapia, was also murdered three days before Arcos was assassinated.

“They had been in office for less than a week. They were young and honest officials who sought progress for their community,” he stated on X. “Our condolences and solidarity go out to their families.”

Moreno said that he would ask the attorney general’s office to lead the investigation into both murders, citing “the situation of ungovernability” in Guerrero.

Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado Pined said on Oct. 7 that she had instructed security officials to increase surveillance and operations in various areas of Chilpancingo.

“I strongly condemn the murder of the Mayor of Chilpancingo, Alejandro Arcos Catalán, a fact that the State Attorney General’s Office has confirmed, initiating the relevant investigations to clarify it and bring those responsible to justice, without giving way to impunity,” she stated on X.

The mayor’s murder happened just a week after newly elected Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1.

Chilpancingo has been plagued by criminal violence and drug gangs. The city is dominated by two warring drug gangs, the Ardillos and the Tlacos. Last year, the Ardillos openly staged a demonstration, commandeered a police armored vehicle, and abducted police officers and state officials to win the release of their detained leaders.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.