Murdered politician candidates in Mexico reach a new peak.
Coming Sunday, Mexico will host its elections, but for several aspirants, contending in the polls has been highly perilous. For the first time ever in the nation's recorded history, more candidates have been slain seeking political posts than this year.
In the build-up to these Mexican elections, an unprecedented amount of contenders has been shot, with candidate Jorge Huerta Cabrera's killing on Friday at a campaign rally. He had been striving for a city council position in Izucar de Matamoros, adding to the 37 individuals who had applied for political roles in the upcoming elections and been assassinated.
To date, there have been a daunting 828 non-fatal attacks, with approximately 80 happening since the week's onset. Specialists emphasize that the mix of dominant drug cartels and frequently leveraged local authorities escalates the threats level for political arrangers.
560 contenders and campaign personnel are receiving personal defense during the race due to persisting threats; nevertheless, this has not always guaranteed their safety. On the first day of this week, a candidate vying for mayorship in the southern state of Guerrero was shot fatally even with personal protection.
A Strong Favorite
Claudia Sheinbaum, the Morena coalition's left-populist government alliance member, is generally assumed to be the winner of the presidential race on Sunday. She is exceptionally ahead of her opponent, Xochitl Galvez, in the surveys. This would mark the first time in Mexican history when a woman would lead the country. The popular incumbent president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is ineligible to contest again, as stipulated by the constitution. He has been instrumental in constructing Sheinbaum as his successor.
On Sunday, over 100 million Mexicans, male and female, above 18, will have voting rights. Apart from the presidency, the parliament will be elected as well. Additionally, the governments of nine federal states and more than 20,000 public offices will be newly chosen.
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Despite the heightened risks, voters in Mexico are determined to exercise their right to vote during the elections on Sunday. Regrettably, the country's campaign trail has become a dangerous landscape, with several aspiring candidates, including Jorge Huerta Cabrera, falling victim to murder and manslaughter. In light of this, securing political posts in Mexico has become an increasingly perilous undertaking.
