A horrific live Facebook broadcast showed the world the reality of Mexico’s unchecked violence that claimed the lives of a mayoral candidate and three supporters.
The shocking assassination was captured in real-time while the victims lay bleeding in the streets.
It exposed the lawlessness plaguing America’s southern neighbor, where drug cartels effectively control large swaths of territory.
Yesenia Lara, who represented President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena party, was marching with supporters in Texistepec, Veracruz, when gunmen opened fire.
The deadly attack left four dead and three others wounded just weeks before municipal elections scheduled for June 1, highlighting the extreme dangers political candidates face in Mexico.
Videos captured the chaos as panicked supporters scattered amid gunfire. The assassination occurred during a Facebook Live broadcast.
The feed allowed viewers to witness the brutal reality of Mexican politics, where violence is increasingly used to silence candidates.
Veracruz, a strategic coastal state, remains hotly contested by powerful drug cartels looking to control trafficking routes.
Veracruz state governor Rocio Nahle quickly condemned the attack, promising justice.
“We will find those responsible for this cowardly murder of the Morena candidate and supporters in Texistepec; 4 people dead and 3 wounded,” Nahle stated after the shooting.
“No position or post is worth the life of a person,” Nahle added in her statement following the attack.
The state attorney general’s office has launched an investigation, but justice remains non-existent in a country where political killings regularly go unsolved.
The murder of Lara follows a disturbing pattern of violence against politicians.
Recent victims include councilwoman Cecilia Ruvalcaba and senior city official Jose Luis Pereira, both killed in Jalisco state.
Criminal violence has claimed roughly 480,000 lives in Mexico since 2006, when then-President Felipe Calderón launched a military offensive against drug cartels.
Rather than reducing cartel power, the strategy fragmented criminal groups that now wage brutal territorial battles across the country, with politicians often caught in the crossfire.
Local politicians face particular danger as cartels seek to control municipal governments that oversee local police forces and can facilitate or hinder trafficking operations.
Many assassinations target candidates who refuse to cooperate with cartels or who threaten existing corrupt arrangements between criminals and government officials.
The ongoing violence raises serious questions about Mexico’s ability to conduct free and fair elections when candidates face deadly consequences for running for office.
The assassination of Lara serves as a grim reminder of the lawlessness and corruption that drive migration northward.
Until Mexico can guarantee the safety of its own political candidates, its instability will likely continue to be a possible threat.
