A mayor in southern Mexico has been shot dead in an attack, prosecutors said Saturday. Jose Angel Bravo Martinez, the mayor of San Miguel Amatitlan in the state of Oaxaca, was killed in the Mixteca region, where organized criminal groups such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel are active.

State Governor Salomon Jara said on X: "In Oaxaca, we will not allow violence to prevail over the law or over the will of our communities." The mayor was a member of the opposition National Action Party (PAN).

State prosecutors said they "immediately activated its investigation protocols for high-impact crimes" and increased police presence in the area. A tactical team was deployed to seal off escape routes and locate those responsible. No motive has been disclosed yet.

Local officials are frequently targeted by violence, especially in rural areas where organized crime holds sway. Last month, the mayor of another Oaxaca town, Santiago Amoltepec, died in an attack that also killed two others.

According to the NGO Causa en Comun, at least 60 politicians or lawmakers were killed in targeted attacks in 2025. The security situation in Mexico is under scrutiny ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Source: www.dw.com