Mexico election violence continued as yet another mayoral candidate has been killed, this time in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero, which has been plagued by drug violence from warring cartels and local gangs.

The victim was identified as Chilapa mayoral hopeful Tomas Morales, who was considered a top contender for the violence-wracked city's mayoral seat. He was supposed to run under the banner of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's Morena Party, though he has not yet been named as its official candidate in the city despite being one of the favorites to win.

Morales was reportedly shot to death outside his home in Chilapa late Tuesday by an unknown gunman, according to Guerrero State prosecutors. The city has become the scene of the bloodiest turf battles between various drug gangs across Mexico despite it being quite isolated.

As the January 2 national elections approach, the Associated Press has noted that around a half-dozen local politicians have been murdered so far this year. Morales is also not the first local Guerrero politician to be killed as Alfredo González, a mayoral contender in the town of Atoyac, Guerrero, was also shot to death.

Latin Post also previously reported on the deaths of two candidates from the neighboring state of Michoacan. The two were running against one another in the town of Maravatío. They were killed within hours of one another by gunmen last February, just days before the campaign period officially kicked off.

Another Morena Party candidate running in the Mexico State suburb of Ecatepec was fatally shot in early February, along with his brother. Before that, a local leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and candidate for mayor of Suchiate, Chiapas, was also killed.

READ MORE: Mexico Elections: Candidates Sign Agreement To Commit to Peace Amid Drug Violence in the Country

Mexico Elections Still Feature Gender-Based Political Violence Against Women

Despite the two leading presidential candidates, Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochitl Galvez, being women, the Wilson Center has found that there is still gender-based political violence being directed against women in Mexico.

The Wilson Center report noted that there are still those who "specifically target women because of their sex and seek to pressure, hinder, punish, or deprive" them of their right to participate in politics. The study found that both Sheinbaum and Galvez experienced this sort of violence themselves, with Sheinbaum experiencing it more than her rival.

Organized Crime Still a Big Factor in Mexico Elections Violence

Aside from the political violence against women, one of the biggest factors in the situation in Mexico is still organized crime, particularly the many warring drug cartels within the country.

The Wilson Center, in another study, found that half of the political violence that happened before the 2018 elections was directly connected to organized crime. This included the assassinations of local political figures, with one happening per week. Those targeted tend to be politicians who do not cooperate with these criminal groups.

The Wilson Center also noted that the threat of organized crime for the 2024 elections is an "imminent and severe threat" to Mexico's democratic integrity and stability.

READ MORE: Mexico Elections Primer: Who Are the Top 3 Candidates Vying to Replace AMLO?

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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