Just hours after Claudia Sheinbaum’s historic election as Mexico’s first female president, Yolanda Sánchez, the mayor of Cotija, Michoacán, was ambushed and shot 19 times by gunmen in the town center on Monday. Her bodyguard was also killed in the attack.
Local authorities and media reports suggest that the perpetrators were likely members of an organized crime group, with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) being the prime suspects. The CJNG is notorious for its involvement in drug trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion, and for targeting public officials who oppose them.
Sánchez who had been in office since September 2021, had reported receiving death threats since taking office. In 2023, she was kidnapped by armed men in Jalisco and held for three days, during which she faced psychological terror and demands from her captors. Despite the threats, Sánchez refused to cede the town’s security to state police linked to criminal groups and instead requested military reinforcement.
The Michoacán state government condemned “the murder of the municipal president (mayor) of Cotija, Yolanda Sanchez Figueroa,” in a social media post by the regional interior ministry. A security operation has been launched to apprehend the killers.
Over time, violence has overshadowed Mexico’s recent general elections. Official figures indicate that over 20 political candidates have been killed since September, with independent surveys putting the number closer to 40.
The murder of Yolanda Sánchez comes at a critical time for Mexico, as the nation celebrated the election of Claudia Sheinbaum. Sheinbaum, who won by a landslide, will be sworn in on October 1. Her presidency marks a significant feat in Mexican politics, but she faces immense challenges, including rampant violence and the influence of powerful criminal cartels.
Xóchitl Gálvez, Sheinbaum’s defeated rival, commented on the violence and the election: “I saw a Mexico with a lot of pain and violence. I wished that she could solve the severe problems our people have.” Gálvez acknowledged Sheinbaum’s victory but expressed concerns over the unequal competition, describing the campaign as an “unequal competition against the entire state apparatus dedicated to favoring its candidate.”
