Mexico’s election has become the bloodiest in modern history, with a candidate for local office in central Puebla state murdered on Friday at a political rally, bringing the total number of assassinated candidates to 37 ahead of Sunday’s vote.
According to data from security consultancy Integralia, the killing brings the number of assassinated candidates in the 2024 election season to 37, one more than in the 2021 midterm election, when 36 candidates were killed.
The issue of violent crime has emerged as one of the most contentious issues in this year’s presidential election, with the ruling party of outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador forced to defend a persistently high murder rate, while the opposition has sought to use the bloodshed to advocate for change.
Claudia Sheinbaum, a ruling party candidate, is generally anticipated to win Sunday’s vote and become Mexico’s first female president.
The consultancy has also identified 828 non-lethal attacks on candidates this election season, up from 749 on Monday.
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