Mexican mayor shot dead in area plagued by cartel violence

The mayor of San Miguel Amtitlán in southern Mexico, José Ángel Bravo Martínez, was shot and killed in the town. The public prosecutor's office in Oaxaca confirmed the incident on Saturday, prompting investigators and forensic teams to be dispatched to the scene.

This tragic event marks the second time in a short period that a mayor has been murdered in the state of Oaxaca. In May, the mayor of Santiago Amoltepec was killed in a separate incident that also resulted in two other fatalities. The governor of Oaxaca, Salomon Jara Cruz, condemned the latest killing, vowing that violence would not prevail over the law.

The region is known to be a battleground for several drug cartels, including the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generacion and Sinaloa cartels, which are actively operating in Oaxaca. Violence against local officials remains a persistent issue across parts of Mexico where organized crime groups wield significant influence.

According to data from the organization Causa en Común, at least 60 politicians or lawmakers were killed in targeted assassinations last year. Since 2006, nearly 100 mayors have lost their lives in assassinations across Mexico, underscoring the dangerous environment faced by public servants in the country.

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In Oaxaca, we will not allow violence to prevail over the law or over the will of our communities.