Mexico: Another Lawmaker Assassinated | Morelos Congress Deputy Gabriela Marin Was Shot Repeatedly by Gunmen

Gabriela Marin, a public official in Mexico's state of Morelos, was assassinated by armed men on a motorcycle on Wednesday afternoon.

Marin was a local deputy in the Congress of Morelos. According to Borderland Beat, she was shot to death by two armed men on a motorcycle in the city of Cuernavaca. State governor Cuauhtemoc Blanco and state prosecutor Uriel Carmona reportedly confirmed the lawmaker's death.

Carmona said Marin was in the parking lot of a pharmacy in the Estrada Cajigal neighborhood when two gunmen on a motorcycle arrived at the scene and repeatedly shot her.

El Financiero reported that Marin's body was left lying on the side of her white BMW SUV. One of her escorts was reportedly wounded in the attack. Carmona said they are now investigating whether the attack was an act of political revenge, as Marin recently participated in a protest as a member of the LV legislature.

The state police, National Guard, military personnel, and agents of the state Attorney General's Office arrived at the crime scene and cordoned off the area. They found several 9mm caliber shell casings at the scene.

Blanco condemned Gabriela Marin's killing and said a security operation had already been launched to find the gunmen. He also expressed solidarity with the late legislator's family and friends in mourning her death.

More Politicians in Mexico Being Killed by Gunmen

Gabriela Marin's assassination happened on the same day that a mayor and at least 19 others in the neighboring state of Guerrero were killed by armed members of the Los Tequileros gang.

According to local reports, the gunmen entered the San Miguel Totolapan town hall at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday and started shooting.

The building was riddled with bullet holes after the attack, as seen in photos that circulated on social media.

Aside from San Miguel Totolapan Mayor Conrado Mendoza Almeda, several police officers and council workers were also killed after the armed men opened fire. Their bloodied bodies lying on the ground were also seen in images that circulated online.

Mendoza Almeda's father, former mayor of San Miguel Totolapan Juan Mendoza Acosta, was reportedly killed in his home before the attack moved to the town hall.

The state attorney general's office initially said that 18 victims were killed in the attacks. However, a second official later said a total of 20 people were found dead.

The Los Tequileros gang claimed responsibility for the attack in a video shared on social media.

In the video released by alleged members of Los Tequileros, the group announced its return to the region, where they had been fighting a rival drug ring.

Homicides Down in Mexico, but AMLO's Term Could Still Be One of the Bloodiest in Decades

Data presented by the federal security minister showed that attacks have become more frequent in Mexico during the term of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Violence has reportedly been steadily rising in many states as Mexican drug cartels and smaller drug gangs battle for control of territory and drug shipment routes.

According to Mexico News Daily, Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez reported last July that homicides have declined by 9.1% in the first six months of the year.

She said there were 15,400 murders between January and June, which is 1,548 fewer than in the same period last year.

She noted that Guanajuato, Michoacan, Baja California, Mexico state, Jalisco, and Chihuahua remained to be the six most violent states in the country.

While there is a decline for the first half, AMLO's six-year term in office may be one of the bloodiest in Mexico in recent years.

Based on the presented data, Enrique Peña Nieto's 2012-18 presidency was the most violent six-year term of government in recent decades so far, with more than 157,000 homicides.

However, that figure will exceed during AMLO's term unless murders decline significantly in the next two years.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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