Who is Mexican mayor Alejandro Arcos Catalan, beheaded after six days in office?

Alejandro Arcos Catalan, mayor of Chilpancingo, Guerrero in Mexico, He was murdered yesterday, Sunday, October 6After being in power for only six days. The incident has shocked the country, which is facing a worrying rise in attacks against politicians and public officials in the country, especially in states like Guerrero is one of the areas most affected by drug cartel-related violence.

Arcos’ candidacy was promoted A coalition of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the National Action Party (PAN) and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD)All opposition parties towards Morena. He took over as mayor on September 30, 2024 and is believed to have ties to criminal gangs and drug trafficking.

Who is Alejandro Arcos Catalan?

Alejandro Arcos, born in Chilpancingo in 1981, came from a family with strong roots in the Guerrero mountains.He studied political science and public administration and dedicated his life to public service and politics. Throughout his career, he has held a variety of positions, including: Director of the Cadastre of the Chilpancingo City Council and Head of the Guerrerense Institute for Comprehensive Care of the Elderly (IGATIPAM).

Arcos was elected mayor after a campaign of citizens’ no-confidence in the leadership of the previous government. Norma Otilia Hernandez, exposed for her ties to organized crimeHis election was seen as “Punishment vote” for Murray. (the former mayor’s political party and Schienbaum’s current party).

In his first days as mayor, Alejandro Arcos had expressed his intention to work together with the Mexican Army and other security forces to confront the violence ravaging Chilpancingo.Arcos’s murder has been described as a “cowardly crime” by the PRI, which has demanded immediate justice and an end to impunity. The party’s own national president, Alejandro Moreno, expressed sadness at the loss.

However, two days before his death, in a radio interview, Arcos expressed that Assassination of its Secretary General, Francisco Gonzalo Tapia Gutiérrez (occurred on 3 October) This could be interpreted as a threat, given he had received no direct pressure or warning. The mutilated body of Alejandro Arcos was found inside a truck, While his head rested on the windshield of the vehicle, an image that began circulating on social networks.

Drugs and high crime in Guerrero

Guerrero is one of the Mexican states most affected by drug cartel-related violence. Its strategic location on the Pacific coast has made it a major point for drug transit nationally and internationally, leading to violent battles for control of the area between different criminal organizations.

Besides, Guerrero is a mountainous and rural area where monitoring of such areas is difficult, making it an ideal area for the cultivation of poppies.The plant from which heroin is obtained. In fact, the state has been the largest poppy producer in Mexico for years.

One of the most notorious criminal groups to emerge in Guerrero squirrels, Red, southern cartelAnd joint warriorThe latter includes Disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa students in 2014A case that shocked Mexico and the world.

In the early 2000s, groups like beltran leyva cartel And michoacan family They maintained control over routes and drug production in Guerrero. However, after the capture and death of some of their leaders, these cartels disintegrated into smaller, more violent groups, known as “regional cartels”.