Overview
- Carlos Manzo Rodríguez, an independent mayor, was executed during a Día de Muertos event in Uruapan, Michoacán.
- Federal authorities said Manzo had municipal and federal protection since 2024 that was reinforced early this year.
- His killing prompted demonstrations and clashes with police in Michoacán and drew widespread condemnation across the country.
- Official records count roughly a dozen murdered mayors since October 6, 2024, and Data Cívica reports 25 political attacks in Michoacán this year with 88% targeting municipal officials.
- Multiple criminal groups operate in Uruapan — including CJNG, Los Caballeros Templarios, Los Viagras, Pueblos Unidos and Los Blancos de Troya — as experts decry impunity, critique Plan Michoacán for lacking dismantlement measures, and note public outrage is already fading.