On Sunday, Mayor Lilia García of San Mateo Piñas in Oaxaca, southern Mexico, was fatally shot in her office in a brazen attack by four armed men on motorcycles. The assailants stormed the town hall, threatened security personnel at the entrance, and opened fire inside the mayor’s office, killing García and another municipal official, Eli García. Two municipal police officers were also wounded during the assault.
Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara condemned the attack on social media, stating, “There can be no impunity for this act.” The state prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation, and military and federal agents have been deployed to the area to restore order and pursue those responsible.
This killing is the latest in a disturbing pattern of violence targeting local politicians in Mexico, particularly in regions where powerful drug trafficking groups operate. The violence has also recently spread to Mexico City, where two close associates of Mayor Clara Brugada were murdered publicly last month.
Since 2006, criminal violence linked mostly to drug cartels has claimed approximately 480,000 lives across Mexico, with over 120,000 people still missing. The assassination of Mayor García underscores the ongoing challenges Mexico faces in protecting its public officials and addressing the pervasive influence of organized crime.
