As the June 1 elections in Veracruz approach, electoral violence continues to rise in the state, where seven candidates have already been murdered, including Yesenia Lara on Sunday.
It is also noteworthy not only that the last two assassinated candidates belonged to Morena and the Green Party, but also that in 2022 Yesenia’s husband was gunned down in Texistepec, while serving as a local councilor.
What’s happening in Veracruz?
During his appearance on Noticias en Claro, journalist Alejandro Aguirre Guerrero warned about the rising electoral violence in Veracruz, where seven politicians have now been murdered since the start of the electoral process in November 2024. Two of the most recent cases have raised alarms nationwide.
One of the most shocking crimes was the murder of Yesenia Lara, a candidate for mayor of Texistepec, which occurred on the night of Sunday, May 11, during a campaign event.
She recalled that an armed group on motorcycles attacked the candidate and her companions during a crowded campaign caravan, leaving five people dead, including her nephew, a municipal police officer, her daughter, and a member of the Morena candidate’s team.
This incident is in addition to the murder in March of Anuar Valencia, also a candidate for Morena and the Green Party, which occurred on the first day of campaigning in Coxquihui, in the north of the state. Both attacks reinforce the perception that electoral violence has not been concentrated in a single region, but has spread throughout the north, center, and south of Veracruz.
She also recalled that Yesenia Lara’s husband was also murdered while serving as a council member, a fact that remains unsolved, given that the area where the attacks occurred is known for its local bosses and the constant presence of organized crime.
Meanwhile, with more than 212 mayoral and municipal elections up for grabs, the state’s climate of insecurity poses a real risk to the peaceful conduct of the electoral process.
Source: unotv
