By Mitchell Sanders
The number of political candidates murdered in Mexico during this campaign season continues to soar.
According to a Mexico City-based security consultancy, one hundred thirteen candidates have been murdered since the campaign season began in September.
Most recently, Fernando Purón, a congressional candidate from the Mexican city of Piedras Negras, was gunned down by a bearded man as he posed for a selfie with a supporter after a debate. While the gunman has not been apprehended and his motive is unknown, Purón had received death threats while serving as mayor of Piedras Negras and is thought to have run afoul of the local crime group known as the “Zetas.”
Purón had vowed to combat organized crime saying, “You take on crime head-on – you don’t fear it, you call it for what it is.”
Experts believe that most of the recent shootings are the result of gangs jockeying for power in local government. Gangs with powerful governmental connections can receive lucrative kickbacks or even influence or control local law enforcement.
