The bloodiest election campaign in Mexico's history
The bloodiest election campaign in Mexico’s history
Latest update : 2018-06-30
The election campaign that comes to an end when voters go to the polls on Sunday has been the most violent ever to take place in Mexico, with at least 48 candidates murdered and many others attacked since September 2017.
Being an election candidate in Mexico is “practically tantamount to a death penalty”, Mario Alberto Chavez, a mayoral candidate in the southwest of the country, told AFP.
On June 25, a new victim was added to the already long list of murdered candidates for the general election. Emigdio Lopez Avendano, a candidate to become a local deputy in the southern province of Oaxaca, was ambushed while driving along a country road and killed along with his four passengers.
While the death toll of 48 comes from Mexican security group the Etellekt Institute, the country’s interior ministry puts the figure at 34.
Candidates step down because of violence
It took until June 18 for the ministry to put forward plans to protect presidential candidates – and, so far, only Jose Antonio Meade, the ruling PRI party’s candidate and the protégé of current President Enrique Pena Nieto, has benefitted from this measure.
