Violence against elected officials remains a common problem in Mexico, and in recent weeks the southern state of Oaxaca has become the latest flashpoint in a series of deadly attacks targeting current and former public servants.
The two most recent killings occurred last week. The first victim was Joel Bravo Martínez, the mayor of San Miguel Amatitlán, a municipality in northwestern Oaxaca near the border with Puebla.
Authorities are investigating the killing of Bravo Martínez, who was shot dead outside his home on June 13, just weeks after publicly expressing fears for his safety and requesting protection from the Oaxaca state government, according to a statement from the National Action Party (PAN).
According to Infobae México, Oaxaca authorities confirmed hours later that former San Juan Quiahije Mayor Carlos Orocio Cruz and his son, Celestino Orocio Cruz, were fatally shot on June 14 while at a construction site in the municipality.
Mexican media reported that both men suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The killings came just days after another attack on a local official. Roughly 72 hours before Orocio Cruz was killed, authorities reported that Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz Mayor César Figueroa survived an armed assault.
Since 2022, at least six current or former mayors have been killed in Oaxaca, underscoring the security challenges facing local officials in parts of the state.
Following Bravo Martínez's killing, PAN leaders called on federal and state authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.
According to reports, Bravo Martínez attended on May 15 a security meeting where he formally requested protection after voicing concerns about threats against him. Days later, he and members of his team were reportedly ambushed on the Ahuatlán-Oaxaca highway when two vehicles blocked their path. According to Infobae México, armed men forced them out of their vehicle, assaulted them and stole their belongings.
The recent attacks are the latest examples of the dangers faced by local officials in Mexico, where mayors and municipal leaders are often exposed to pressure and violence from organized criminal groups seeking influence over local governments.
One of the country's highest-profile cases occurred last year when Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo was killed during a Day of the Dead event in the western state of Michoacán.
Investigators have linked the attack to a cell of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) although no suspects have been convicted in the case.
