Oaxaca mayor Joel Ángel Bravo shot dead at home weeks after surviving assault

Joel Ángel Bravo Martínez, the municipal president of San Miguel Amatitlán in Oaxaca, was fatally shot at his home on Saturday morning, June 13. The attack, reportedly carried out by armed men who stormed his residence around 8:00 AM, occurred just weeks after Bravo Martínez had been the victim of an assault while traveling on the Acatlán-Oaxaca highway in Puebla.

The Oaxaca State Attorney General's Office confirmed it has initiated ministerial and forensic investigations to clarify the homicide of the official, who served under the National Action Party (PAN) banner. The news of his death has prompted many to seek information about San Miguel Amatitlán itself.

San Miguel Amatitlán is located northwest of Oaxaca, within the Mixteca region, and serves as the administrative center for its namesake municipality. The name "San Miguel" honors Saint Michael the Archangel, the community's patron, while "Amatitlán" is derived from Nahuatl, meaning "among the amate trees," referring to the paper amate tree. Historically, the area was known by names such as Rancho del Recibimiento and Rancho de los Jacales during the colonial era. Its municipal status was officially established on August 31, 1831, following Mexico's Independence.