Uruapan, Mexico — Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, the mayor of Uruapan, was fatally shot amid Day of the Dead celebrations in the city’s central square, according to officials on Saturday. The 40-year-old mayor, known for his strong stance against local drug cartels, was attacked in front of a large crowd gathered for the festivities at Immaculate Church, despite the presence of municipal police and National Guard officers tasked with his protection.
The gunfire erupted in the historic heart of Uruapan late Saturday as locals and tourists participated in the traditional event. Manzo Rodríguez was struck by seven bullets, fired by an unidentified assailant, disclosed Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch. The mayor was promptly taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, confirmed state prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña. The violent incident also left a city councilman, a municipal officer, and another city employee wounded.
Social media platforms circulated videos capturing the panic that ensued as attendees, surrounded by hundreds of candles, marigolds, and skull decorations, fled in terror. During the chaos, municipal police responded to the gunfire, and one of the mayor’s bodyguards fatally shot the primary assailant on site. Two additional suspects related to the incident were detained.
In a statement on Monday, Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo provided details on the security breach, noting that while National Guard members secured the broader perimeter, Manzo Rodríguez had opted for personally known municipal police officers for close protection. Trevilla Trejo also mentioned that attendees at the event, which holds quasi-religious significance, were not subjected to any searches or screening, despite the known risks to the mayor who had been in public view.
Manzo Rodríguez had been vocal about the challenges posed by organized crime in Michoacán, pushing against the release of detained criminals who he claimed returned to their unlawful activities. In a recent discussion, he controversially urged citizens to arm themselves against traffickers if federal interventions failed, marking a bold statement about the state’s deteriorating security situation.
Since his election as an independent, after a tenure as a Morena Party legislator, Manzo Rodríguez had been under enhanced security, further bolstered in recent months amid escalating threats. The mayor’s proactive security arrangements began shortly after his term commenced in December 2024.
The community deeply felt the impact of the mayor’s violent death, with hundreds of Uruapan residents taking to the streets in a solemn black-clad procession the following day. Leading the march, a mourner walked Manzo Rodríguez’s black horse, its saddle adorned with one of his signature cowboy hats, accompanied by a band playing mournful mariachi music. The air was filled with cries for justice and palpable anger aimed at the ruling political party.
President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the assassination, labeling it as “vile” and respecting the mourning period by suspending her public events. She asserted her commitment to capturing the responsible parties, albeit defending her administration’s approaches to handling cartel-related violence, which she argued diverged from unsuccessful militaristic tactics.
Public Safety Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch emphasized the targeted nature of the attack but admitted that the mastermind behind the assassination remains unknown. He highlighted the active presence of major criminal organizations such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Viagras within Uruapan, hinting at the complexity surrounding the investigation being led by Michoacán’s authorities, with federal agencies on standby to assist.
Protests erupted in Morelia, the state capital, following the mayor’s assassination, with demonstrators expressing their frustration toward state governance and questioning the extent of control illicit groups wield over regions of Mexico. Manzo Rodríguez’s murder marks him as the seventh mayor assassinated in Michoacán since 2022, underscoring the persistent violence and instability in the region.