‘It’s become a battleground’: Mexico’s local candidates face deadly violence

Breakfast with Zelaya mayoral candidate Juan Miguel Ramirez. Mexicois interrupted by the sound of military boots coming down the stairs.

Soldiers have been stationed on the roof of the family’s home since Ramirez took over from his predecessor, Gisela Gaitan. He was shot dead on the first day of the election campaign. One of the most dangerous cities in Mexico.

Gaitan is 30 candidates A man was believed to have been killed on his way to Mexico’s June 2 vote, and hundreds more are dropping out or seeking protection as organized crime groups vie for influence in government, eroding Mexico’s democracy in the process.

The violence reflects the scale of the largest election in Mexico’s history, which will determine the president’s successor. Andres Manuel Lopez ObradorThere are also over 20,000 positions at the federal, state and city levels.

All political parties have been affected by the violence, but it is candidates and local government authorities who are most affected. Hardest hitIt is the least protected part of the nation and a target for criminal groups. Strengthening control through dealings with authorities They have jurisdiction over their local territories and their businesses.

Several factions are fighting over Zelaya (population 500,000). One of the largest industrial cities In the state of Guanajuato.

“This has become a war zone,” said Falco Ernst, a Mexico analyst for the nonprofit Crisis Group, “not just for drug routes, but for oil smuggling, the local extortion market and the retail methamphetamine market.”

Since 2020, roughly one in every 1,000 people has been murdered in Celaya each year. Mexico’s most dangerous cities for police officersAt least 34 police officers have been killed in the past three years.

Hours before his death, Gaitan held a press conference where, as a candidate for President Lopez Obrador’s Morena party, he outlined his proposals to eradicate corruption and improve security in Zelaya and Guanajuato, both of which have been ruled for decades by the conservative Pan Party.

At the time, Ramirez, who helped Gaytan design the platform, was working from home with the rest of his team.

All had their cell phones on silent. “I only found out when someone came and told me,” Ramirez said. “At first I didn’t want to believe it, then they showed me the pictures.

“[Replacing her] “It was a difficult decision because Gisela’s murder was not a normal murder,” Ramirez said. “They put a bullet in her neck and shot her all over her body.”

“They shot her multiple times,” he repeated, momentarily haunted by the memory.

The state attorney general has claimed he has dismantled the ring that killed Gaitan and has twice announced the arrests of suspects but has not provided any information about a motive.

Provincial Governor Diego Sinhue said all possible avenues of investigation were being considered. Factions within Morena It’s possible that someone unhappy with Gaitan’s selection as candidate was involved.

“We have not received any threats, but we have felt a hostile atmosphere from the state government,” Ramirez said, calling the announcement that Morena itself was under investigation an attempt at “intimidation.”

It’s not just the candidates themselves who are at risk.

Last week, the father of Saul Trejo, a Morena who is running for mayor of the nearby city of Talimoro, Shot and killed.

“Targeting relatives is a way to put pressure on candidates,” said Ramirez’s son and campaign manager, Alejandro. “They may not want to confront soldiers directly, but they can attack them indirectly.”

Soldiers are guarding not only Ramirez’s home, but also the home of his daughter.

But Alejandro seemed optimistic about the risks of a family-focused campaign.

“We’re used to it,” he said after a moment of reflection. “Honestly, when we’re out campaigning, it’s a lot of fun. But sometimes when you talk to the soldiers, they say little things. Like last night, we arrived just after midnight and they told us there was a blue Kia following us. And suddenly it dawned on me what was going on.”

When it comes to criminal activity attempting to influence elections and infiltrate the state, attacks on politicians are just the “tip of the iceberg,” Ernst said.

The violence has gone beyond electoral campaigns to affect a wider range of actors: “Behind every murdered politician, there is always a journalist, an activist or a religious leader who is attacked,” said Sandra Rey of the nonprofit Mexico Evalua.

These attacks have increased under the past few administrations but have not been addressed by any party.

Crime control is so severe in parts of Mexico that it is difficult to claim that free and fair elections are being held.

“in [the state of] “There are places in Guerrero where organized crime groups control many areas of life, not just politics but the economy and society,” said Monica Mertis, executive director of Data Civica, which tracks political violence. “They control when people can leave their homes.”

“And we have to ask who is chosen to make the decisions. [in government]”These are people who are definitely in agreement with organized crime groups,” Mertis added.

whole, Political violence correlates with lower voter turnout This may reflect voters’ perception that candidates are pre-selected by criminal groups, or fears of violence in the act of voting itself.

In Celaya, the impact of Gaitan’s killing will only become clear on June 2nd.

“I hate to say it, but Gisela’s murder made me more willing to vote for Morena,” Ramirez said.

“We are urging people to go and vote as if they were going to the market or taking their kids to school. We are urging people to go and vote as if it were any other day,” Ramirez said. “We are urging people to go and vote despite the fears we all have.”