Mayor Valentin Lavin was shot dead in a town hall in the Mexican state of Morelos after surviving a previous assassination attempt.
Mayor Valentin Lavin was shot dead inside a town hall in Temoac, Morelos, according to authorities on Wednesday. The local official, who was allied with President Claudia Sheinbaum's leftist party, had previously survived an armed attack in January. Police and forensic experts located his body within the local government facilities, and an operation to arrest the responsible parties is currently underway. The assassination highlights the ongoing violence in Mexico, where nearly 100 mayors have been murdered since 2006 as drug cartels fight for territory. Since the current government took office in October 2024, 14 mayors have been killed. Despite the high frequency of local official deaths, President Claudia Sheinbaum noted on July 14 that homicides across the country have fallen by nearly half since September 2024. She attributed this decline to her specific security policies. Mexico continues to manage the aftermath of a long-term offensive against drug cartels that has resulted in nearly 500,000 deaths since 2006.