Mexico: massive protests and demands for justice for the murder of a mayor who called for 'lethal force' against drug traffickers

Hundreds of people protested and demanded justice Sunday for the murder of a mayor the night before during a public event in Michoacan, a state in western Mexico hit by drug trafficking.

The mayor of Uruapan, Michoacan, Carlos Manzo Rodriguez, 40, was shot dead Saturday during a Day of the Dead celebration despite having official protection since December last year.

Manzo had governed Uruapan since September 2024 and patrolled the streets of the municipality with bulletproof vest. He constantly denounced, in interviews and on his social networks, the situation of drug violence that has taken over the city.

The mayor's discourse focused on the fight against corruption, the cleaning up of the security forces and "taking a hard line against drug trafficking."

"If you see that they are shooting, you have to shoot them down; if they are attacking the citizenry, you have to shoot them down. We must not have any consideration for these scum of society," Manzo said in May in response to the murder of a City Hall worker.

Manzo had government protection

The secretary of Public Security, Omar García Harfuch, said this Sunday that the mayor "had protection assigned since last December" and that "in May of this year there was additional reinforcement."

"The National Guard assigned 14 elements to support them with peripheral security in accordance with the municipal president's request," he added.

Harfuch said that so far no line of investigation for the crime has been ruled out.

Sheinbaum expresses condolences

"I condemn in the strongest terms the vile murder of the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzo," the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum. "I express my heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones, as well as to the people of Uruapan, for this irreparable loss."

"Since the beginning of this Administration we have reinforced the Security Strategy. These unfortunate events push us to strengthen it even more," she added.

The Trump Administration reacts

For his part, US Deputy Secretary of State and former ambassador to Mexico, Christopher Landau, expressed his condolences for the mayor's murder and offered the cooperation of United States to combat organized crime.

"On this Day of All Souls, my thoughts are with the family and friends of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico, who was murdered last night during a public Day of the Dead celebration," he wrote on X.

"The United States stands ready to deepen security cooperation with Mexico to eradicate organized crime on both sides of the border," he said. "Here we see Carlos with his young son in his arms at the celebration, moments before the attack. May his soul rest in peace and may his memory inspire swift and effective action," he added.

Mexico is in mourning

This Sunday, hundreds of people gathered in Uruapan for the funeral of the mayor, who was bid farewell amid mariachi music and applause.

Later, several residents marched shouting "Justice!" and "Uruapan rise up!" Other demonstrators carried banners that read "Mexico is in mourning."

In Morelia, Michoacan's capital, dozens of people protested and accused the inaction of the state governor, Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla.

"Carlos did not die! Bedolla killed him!" several of them shouted as they marched in the historic center of the city.

Some entered the state government palace in that same city, where they caused destruction.