Bertha Gisela Gaytán Gutiérrez, a 38-year-old mayoral candidate from Mexico’s Morena Party, was killed in a shooting incident on April 2, 2024, in a town near Celaya, Guanajuato. This incident underscores the escalating violence against politicians in Mexico ahead of the upcoming June elections.
The streets, where Gutiérrez was set to begin her campaign, witnessed her tragic end, marking another episode in the ongoing wave of violence that has claimed the lives of numerous politicians in Mexico.
Launching her campaign under the Morena Party, Gutiérrez aimed to bring about change amidst a turbulent political climate. Her ambitions were abruptly ended on a street outside Celaya, an area that includes smaller neighboring communities. Tellingly, she had asked for police protection for her campaign the day before she was shot.
A chilling video from social media captured the incident: a procession for Gutiérrez, interrupted by gunshots that led to chaos and despair among her supporters, who were chanting “Morena!” at the time.
Morena’s leader, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, expressed his grief over the loss of party candidates, including Gutiérrez, but stopped short of announcing increased security measures for politicians. Morena candidate Alma Alcaraz echoed the sentiments of many when she said, “This is something that has us angry, shocked, in mourning.”
Diego Sinhue, the governor of Guanajuato, where the incident occurred, vowed on the social media platform “X” that the attack will not go unanswered and that swift action will be taken.
Hours before her death, Gutiérrez’s social media posts conveyed her undaunted spirit and vision for Celaya. She posted on Facebook, “In unity and with firm commitment, we aim to realize the transformation we deeply yearn for. Our goal is a Celaya where all can flourish; we seek significant change.”
Gutiérrez’s optimism stood in stark contrast to the reality of Guanajuato, a state known for its high homicide rates and danger to law enforcement officials.
The problem of political violence in Mexico is widespread, as shown by the recent murder of the mayor of Churumuco in Michoacan, who was killed in a taco restaurant in the state capital, Morelia, while he was with his 14-year-old son, who survived the incident.
Earlier in the year, on February 26, two mayoral candidates in Michoacan, Miguel Angel Zavala Reyes from Morena and Armando Perez Luna from the National Action Party, were also killed.
In Guerrero, a state on the Pacific coast, violence claimed the lives of two more mayoral candidates in March: Tomás Morales and Alfredo González, who were campaigning in Atoyac and Guerrero, respectively.
The violence is largely attributed to the ongoing battles between the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel and the Jalisco cartel, which have resulted in numerous deaths and pose a threat to Mexico’s democratic process.
The severity of the situation in Guanajuato is highlighted by the fact that in 2023, more police officers were killed there than in the entire United States. This violence affects not just law enforcement and politicians but also civilians, as demonstrated by the recent killing of the mayor of Churumuco, Michoacan, with students and police officers also among the victims of previous attacks, as reported by AP News.
Gutiérrez’s murder is a grim reminder of the dangers faced by political candidates in Mexico, especially those advocating for change. Despite her request for protection, she became one of the many politicians whose lives and aspirations were cut short by violence.
As Mexico gears up for elections that will decide the successor to President López Obrador and numerous other state and municipal posts, the killings of candidates like Gutiérrez cast a worrying shadow over the democratic process. The escalating violence in Guanajuato and across Mexico threatens not just individuals seeking office but also the very bedrock of democracy.
