Uruapan Mayor's Death Sparks Political Rift, 34 Arrests

Mexico City, Mexico. The assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Alberto Manzo has led to a political feud, 34 arrests, and a surge in violence in the city.

Manzo was killed during Day of the Dead celebrations in the city's crowded main plaza. Federal and state authorities have blamed the killing on the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. Authorities have detained 34 people in connection with the killing, including seven of the mayor's bodyguards, members of his government accused of leaking his movements, and his godson, who is accused of helping plan the assassination.

Manzo was among at least 13 mayors killed across Mexico in the two years since Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum took office, according to an Associated Press tally based on official reports. That compares with 23 sitting mayors killed during the previous administration's six years in office, according to civil society groups.

Manzo gained political notoriety for taking the fight against cartels into his own hands. He publicly instructed police to use lethal force on criminals resisting arrest or attacking civilians. He personally directed patrols, searches and arrests, urged parents to report their children's criminal activity and publicized confrontations with criminals on his social media. "We're fighting to clean up this filth that's killing us all," Manzo said in one video.

Grecia Quiroz, Manzo's partner, succeeded him as mayor and has vowed to continue his fight. She is escorted around the clock by 60 federally appointed bodyguards. "No one can fill his void," Quiroz said. "I'm extremely worried that if tomorrow, something happens to me, what will (my children) do without a father and a mother?" Quiroz has been accused of not being transparent during the investigation by Manzo's brother, Juan Manzo. "I can't directly accuse her," Juan Manzo said. "But the reality is that she has covered for many of those responsible for the murder of her children's father. She has not been transparent during the investigation." Quiroz has denied the accusations.

Uruapan has experienced a surge of violence in recent weeks. State authorities said they have documented 17 killings, eight gunshot injuries, four attacks on businesses and homes and a series of robberies in October. "We cannot allow violence to become our new normal," Quiroz wrote Sunday on X. "Uruapan deserves to live in peace." On Tuesday, state authorities sent 200 law enforcement officers to boost security in the city.

On Thursday, prosecutors announced the detention of the city's current secretary of welfare on accusations of obstruction of justice. They said she was related to two alleged CJNG members arrested for Manzo's killing. Manzo's grave, open to the public, is covered with flowers, food offerings and white sombreros. "Not a single step backward," the headstone reads.