BREAKING NEWS: Mayor of Uruapan Municipality, Michoacán, Mexico, Assassinated During the Candle Festival
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, during the Festival de las Velas held in the main square of the municipality of Uruapan, Michoacán, the independent municipal president, Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, was shot and later died in the hospital. According to reports, the attack took place in full view of festivalgoers.
His death underscores the alarming trend of violence against local officials in Mexico and raises serious questions about public-safety assurances for elected representatives.
Manzo Rodríguez, elected in September 2024 as mayor of Uruapan with an independent campaign, had gained prominence for publicly confronting organized-crime influence and urging the federal government for greater intervention in his municipality.
He had also accused state authorities of corruption and negligence. According to the federal security secretary, the assailant opened fire with a weapon linked to clashes between rival criminal groups. The attacker was killed on site, and two other suspects were arrested.
The assassination occurred despite Manzo’s having been placed under federal protection since December 2024, with additional security reinforcement in May 2025. Authorities said the perpetrators exploited the vulnerability of the public event to commit the crime.
The governor of Michoacán and the federal presidency condemned the attack and pledged that no impunity would be allowed.
They announced intensified security measures in the region and investigations into possible cartel involvement.
This killing took place in one of Mexico’s most violence-plagued states, where powerful criminal organizations fight for control of territory and resources, including the lucrative avocado industry — a point Manzo himself referenced in his public statements.
This brazen assassination of Carlos Manzo is not only a personal and political tragedy for Uruapan but also a stark symbol of how violence has reached the core of democratic governance in Mexico.
When elected officials fear for their lives while serving in office, the very fabric of accountable public service is under siege.
In response, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and former Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau offered his condolences.
In his post on the X platform, he also reiterated the U.S. government’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation on security matters. Through his personal account on the social network X, Landau wrote:
The call now is for institutions to deliver on their promise: justice without exception, not just for this one case but as a standard in a society that must refuse impunity.
Manzo once stated, “I do not want to be just another executed mayor,” and his voice must not fade into silence.
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