Female Mayor Killed in Mexico After Sheinbaum’s Historic Win

(OurNationNews.com) -Claudia Sheinbaum’s historic win as Mexico’s first female president seems to have little effect on the ongoing violence in the country, after a female mayor was killed just a day after Sheinbaum’s election to Mexico’s top government position.

Yolanda Sanchez Figueroa, the municipal president (mayor) of Cotija, Mexico in the country’s Michoacan state, was murdered by gunmen who open fired on her on a public road. Sanchez, who was elected mayor in 2021, suffered 19 gunshot wounds. Her bodyguard, who was only identified as “Jesús V.”, was also killed in the incident. Authorities say that the attack was a drive-by shooting, with the suspects riding a white truck and firing on Sanchez from the moving vehicle. All the suspects are currently at large, but police say that a search for the killers is underway.

Sanchez has been a victim of violence before, having been abducted in September last year by what were believed to be members of the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG). The group took issue with Sanchez for her opposition to the criminal gang’s attempts to assume control of the municipality’s police force. She was held at gunpoint for three day with the kidnappers inflicting “psychological terror” on her before she was released.

Mexico’s Michoacan is one of the country’s most vibrant regions in the agricultural exports industry, and is also renowned for have many beautiful tourist destinations. However, the state’s reputation has also been marred by violence – the region is considered to be one of the most violent states in Mexico – due to heinous acts of drug cartels and other criminal gangs. The groups war both with police and military and each other, catching many innocents in the crossfire.

Escalating tensions and violence is part of the challenges that Sheinbaum will be facing as Mexico’s new head of state. In the lead-up to the elections, more than a dozen political candidates were killed, while hundreds of others were coerced to withdraw their respective candidacies.