Mexican Mayor Murdered!
Chilpancingo, Mexico, Oct 6 (EFE).-
The mayor of the capital of the Mexican state of Guerrero was murdered on Sunday, six days after taking office, authorities reported.
Alejandro Arcos Catalán was sworn in as mayor of Chilpancingo on Sep. 30.
“His loss mourns the entire Guerrero society and fills us with indignation,” Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said in a statement.
The state Attorney General’s Office said it has opened an investigation into his murder and agents of its Ministerial Investigative Police and the Forensic Services were at the scene.
Witnesses and accounts indicated that Arcos Catalán was found decapitated in a vehicle on the bypass to Tixtla.
Authorities said that minutes before 5 pm local time (23:00 GMT), neighbors reported a human head found on the roof of a vehicle. The agents said that the body of the mayor was found in the passenger seat.
Three days ago, the new city government’s secretary Francisco Tapia was also murdered.
For his part, Alejandro Moreno, president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, to which the mayor belonged, demanded a transparent and immediate investigation by the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR).
“They have murdered our mayor of Chilpancingo, Alejandro Arcos, and just three days ago the secretary of this same City Council, Francisco Tapia. They had been in office for less than a week. Young and honest officials who sought progress for their community,” said Moreno.
“Our condolences and solidarity go out to their families. Given the situation of ungovernability in Guerrero, we will be asking the FGR to take over the investigations of both murders,” he added.
After taking office, Arcos Catalán assured that his main commitment was to “guarantee peace and security in the municipality” and that he would fulfill this “with the help of the Mexican army.”
Criminal violence in Guerrero and in the capital Chilpancingo has been increasing in recent years with ongoing disputes between organized crime groups for territorial control for drug trafficking, extortion and other crimes. EFE
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