Uruapan, Mexico: The mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, was shot dead on Saturday night during Day of the Dead celebrations in the city’s main plaza, authorities confirmed.
According to State Prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña, Manzo Rodríguez was taken to hospital but died of his injuries. A city council member and a bodyguard were also injured. The attacker was killed at the scene, said Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, adding that the weapon used was linked to past clashes between criminal groups.
The mayor was shot seven times, and officials said no line of investigation is being ruled out.
The killing sparked outrage, with hundreds of residents dressed in black joining a funeral march demanding justice. Videos circulating online showed panic among festivalgoers as gunfire erupted during the celebration.
Manzo Rodríguez, dubbed “The Mexican Bukele” for his tough stance on crime, had been under protection since 2024 and had publicly appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help against cartels.
His death follows the killings of Tacámbaro Mayor Salvador Bastidas and journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís, underscoring the surge in political violence in Michoacán, one of Mexico’s most dangerous states.