The Echoes of Violence: The Tragic Murder of Gisela Gaytán and the Wave of Politician Killings in Mexico’s Upcoming Federal Elections

On April 1, the tragic murder of Gisela Gaytán, a candidate for mayor of Celaya in Guanajuato state, marked the beginning of her campaign. She was a member of the ruling party Morena and became the latest victim in the wave of violence targeting candidates running for office during Mexico’s upcoming federal elections on June 2. The escalating violence has made this election cycle one of the most dangerous in Mexican history.

Since November 20, when federal pre-campaigns began, 13 politicians have been killed across seven states in Mexico. This includes candidates, pre-candidates, and aspiring municipal leaders. Additionally, data from the Electoral Laboratory shows that there have been 51 murders linked to the upcoming election, surpassing the number of homicides during the last presidential elections in 2018.

The parties with the highest number of murdered candidates are Morena and PAN in Mexico. Out of the 51 victims, 27 were candidates for public office while the remaining were individuals associated with politics or public service. A concerning trend has emerged where there has been an escalation of violence in recent months coinciding with pre-campaign periods and candidate registrations at local levels. Notable spikes in murder cases have occurred in July, October, January, February, and March. States like Guerrero, Veracruz and Michoacán have reported the highest incidences of electoral violence.

The ongoing violence is a stark reminder that individuals participating in democratic processes face significant risks in Mexico despite efforts by the government to provide protection to candidates. The murder of Gisela Gaytán has once again underscored this need for urgent action to address escalating violence and ensure adequate protection for all political candidates running for office during this election cycle.