Metlatónoc, Guerrero mayor shot during alleged robbery

The mayor of Metlatónoc, Guerrero, Isaías Rojas Ramírez, was shot early Tuesday morning along with his wife, Almari González Romero. The attack occurred during an alleged attempted robbery on the Autopista del Sol, near Huitziltepec.

Both were traveling in a Nissan truck  without bodyguards when armed individuals tried to stop them. When they didn't stop, the strikers opened fire directly. The mayor was hit by three bullets in the chest and abdomen.

After the attack, they managed to reach  Chilpancingo and received medical attention at the Raymundo Abarca General Hospital. They are reported to be in stable condition, but the case once again highlights  the uncontrolled violence experienced in Guerrero.

Another attack against local authorities

The official vehicle was hit by multiple gunshots in one of the most dangerous stretches of the highway. According to the initial report, the strikers tried to intercept them and, when they failed,  opened fire without saying a word.

There were no bodyguards. There was also no immediate response from security authorities. The mayor, a member of the  Partido del Trabajo (PT), had to drive while wounded to a safe location to call for help.

Only then did the paramedics arrive.

The attack reveals the abandonment in which many mayors in Guerrero operate,  without protection or control from the State.

PT reacts: demands without consequences

Partido del Trabajo condemned the attack, but nothing changes. Crime shapes local politics and the State remains absent.

The State Prosecutor's Office announced an investigation, but those responsible remain free. This isn't the first time it has happened and, in most cases, there won't be justice either.

Normalized political violence during election season

Days before the elections, attacks against officials continue to rise. Meanwhile, while the political class campaigns, rural municipalities are left at the mercy of crime.

Neither the National Guard, nor the Army, nor government speeches have managed to contain this reality. In Guerrero, being a mayor is a high-risk occupation.

The attempted assassination of Isaías Rojas isn't an isolated incident, but a symptom of the institutional collapse the country is experiencing. 

From the National Palace, it is repeatedly stated that  "everything is fine", but reality contradicts that narrative every day. In practice, violence rules, impunity prevails, and public power withdraws. In this Mexico of elections without guarantees, being an official means risking your life, and being a citizen means living in uncertainty.