In Guerrero, a state in southern Mexico, the newly elected mayor of Chilpancingo, the capital city, was assassinated within a week of taking office. The mayor, Alejandro Arcos, who was only 43 years old, was tragically killed shortly after being sworn in last Monday.
Pictures circulating on social media showed Arcos had been decapitated by criminal gangs, with his head placed on the roof of a pickup truck. While authorities have not confirmed the authenticity of the images, there were indications at his funeral that forensic or mortuary personnel had reattached his head.
Chilpancingo, with a population of approximately 280,000 people, is a city plagued by violence where drug cartels openly demonstrated in 2023, commandeering government armored vehicles and taking police officers hostage to demand the release of arrested suspects.
Prior to his death, Arcos had given an interview to local media expressing a desire for additional protection, although it remains unclear if he formally requested it from the state government.
The state prosecutor’s office issued a statement on Sunday confirming Arcos’ death but did not provide any details.
The leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and Mexican senator, Alejandro Moreno, mourned Arcos’ death, saying, “We will not let the perpetrators escape justice.”
Moreno mentioned that just days before Arcos’ death, the newly appointed city council secretary, Francisco Tapia, was also murdered.
He wrote on social media, “They had been in office for less than a week. They were young, honest public servants seeking progress for the community.”
Calling for the federal Attorney General’s office to lead the investigation into the cases of Arcos and Tapia given the situation in Guerrero, Moreno highlighted that Chilpancingo has long been a battleground for the Ardillos and Tlacos drug cartels vying for territory.
In July 2023, the Ardillos gang held a protest in Chilpancingo demanding the release of two gang leaders arrested for drug and weapon possession.
For ambitious public officials and journalists, Guerrero has become one of the deadliest regions, with ongoing violence between rival cartels and risky environment for those seeking social progress, accountability, and justice.