Gunmen Kill Political Candidate and Wife in Mexican Resort Town

A group of armed individuals abducted, murdered, and dismembered a political candidate and his wife, leaving their remains in the bed of a pickup truck on a busy street in the renowned beach resort town of Acapulco, Guerrero. Mexico is enduring one of its most violent political seasons ever, with over 30 politicians having been killed to date.

This horrific incident occurred this week in Acapulco, prompting authorities to respond to the Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez neighborhood, where human remains were discovered in a vehicle. The area was cordoned off as officials gathered the dismembered remains.

According to Mexico’s El Diario, reports indicate the victims were Anibal Zuniga Cortez, a city council candidate for Coyuca de Benitez, and his wife, Rubi Bravo. Zuniga was running with an alliance of opposition parties, including PAN-PRI and PRD, which united nationwide to challenge Mexico’s ruling party Morena.

Earlier in the day, authorities dealt with a similar incident where gunmen left the remains of four people in the middle of the street in the Renacimiento neighborhood, as reported by Lopez Doriga Digital. Nearby, they found a small truck set on fire, which is believed to have been used to transport the human remains before being set ablaze. This surge in violence comes amid fierce turf wars between various drug cartels over control of valuable drug routes and production areas in Mexico.

The NGO Laboratorio Electoral has documented 70 murders connected to political campaigns, encompassing candidates and campaign workers since the electoral cycle commenced in June 2023. To date, this political season has witnessed the killing of 33 candidates, alongside multiple kidnappings, attacks, and acts of intimidation.