Mexico City:
The mayor of Mexico’s violence-ridden capital Guerrero state was murdered on Sunday, less than a week after taking office, the governor confirmed.
Alejandro Arcos was killed just six days after taking office as mayor of Chilpancingo, a city of about 280,000 people in southwestern Mexico.
“His death mourns the entire Guerrero community and we are filled with outrage," Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said in a statement shared on social media.
The Guerrero attorney general’s office also said it was investigating Guerrero’s murder.
The official confirmation came after a photo of a severed head believed to belong to Arcos on top of a pickup truck went viral on the messaging app WhatsApp. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the photo.
Arcos’ death occurred just three days after Francisco Tapia, head of the new city government, was shot and killed.
“These were young, honest officials seeking progress in their communities,” Sen. Alejandro Moreno wrote on social media.
Moreno, head of Mexico’s political party PRI, called on the federal attorney general’s office to lead the investigation into the murders of Arcos and Tapia, given the “ungovernable situation in Guerrero.”
Guerrero has become one of the most dangerous states not only for journalists but also for applicants and elected officials.
Ahead of Mexico’s June 2nd election, at least six candidates for public office have been murdered in the state.
In recent days, the mayor has been overseeing disaster relief efforts in the wake of last month’s Hurricane John, which caused severe flooding in the beach resort of Acapulco and surrounding towns, according to Arcos’ social media posts. It has been shown that
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