A Quiet Mexican Town Faces Violent Election

In the small town of Huitzilac, located in Mexico's Morelos state, fear has become a daily companion. This town, known for its collective management of local resources like forests, has been caught in the crossfire of competing criminal groups. Recently, five people were gunned down on the town's main street. They were campaigning for local positions ahead of an election scheduled for March. This isn't the first time Huitzilac has experienced such violence; just eight months ago, eight people were killed in a similar attack. The town's mayor, César Dávila Díaz, condemned the attack, but the motive remains unclear. He denied the presence of drug cartels and any political motive. However, the town's residents, like 70-year-old Blanca Delgadillo, see things differently. Delgadillo's son-in-law was among those killed. She believes violence has overtaken the community, forcing its 20, 000 residents to live in fear. The attack occurred on Monday afternoon, as the victims were walking door to door campaigning. They were intercepted by gunmen in two vehicles and killed on the spot. The next morning, traces of blood and candles were still visible on the pavement. The National Guard has dispatched 200 members to support local and state police. However, José Romero, a local farmer who lives near the scene of the crime, believes the town's security depends on the presence of security forces. When the National Guard is not present, attacks like these happen, he said. Violence in Huitzilac is not an isolated incident. Across Mexico, scores of criminal organizations are fighting for territory, seeking safe routes for smuggling and extorting communities. President Claudia Sheinbaum inherited a complex security situation and has shown more willingness to tackle criminal organizations than her predecessor. However, hotspots of violence persist across the country. In a separate incident, body parts from an unknown number of victims were found along a highway in Tabasco state. The state's governor announced the arrival of 180 soldiers to address the surging violence.