Electoral violence in Mexico escalated this Sunday with the murder of Yesenia Lara, Morena candidate for the mayoralty of Texistepec, Veracruz. During a political caravan, an armed group directly attacked the candidate and her companions.
According to initial reports, at least four people died and three more were wounded. Among the fatalities is the candidate herself. The scene was documented by attendees, who uploaded videos to social media where more than twenty shots can be heard.
A direct attack, no arrests
The attack occurred around 7:00 PM, when Lara was leading a campaign event in the southern part of the state. Armed individuals opened fire on the attendees, causing panic, screams, and chaos.
State and federal authorities deployed a search operation, but as of the close of this report, there are no arrests or official information about those responsible.
Reactions and condemnations: speech without results
Governor Rocío Nahle, also from Morena, confirmed the events and lamented the murder:
"No position or office is worth a person's life," she wrote on social media. She assured that those responsible will be found and instructed the Prosecutor's Office to investigate thoroughly, without offering deadlines or concrete progress.
Veracruz: electoral minefield
This crime adds to a wave of electoral violence in Veracruz:
On April 29, Germán Anuar Valencia, Morena candidate in Coxquihui, was executed.
On May 6, businessman and former Morena candidate Bárbaro Hernández was murdered.
That same day, Bladimir García Soriano, a municipal official in Ixtaczoquitlán, was also executed by an armed commando.
The insecurity in this electoral process has exposed the institutional failure to protect candidates and citizens.
Morena, victim of its own fire
Ironically, under Morena governments —like Nahle's in Veracruz— the ruling party has more deaths among its ranks than ever before. The discourse of transformation clashes with the harsh reality of organized crime, which continues to impose its law in large areas of the country.
