A former member of Mexico’s Congress was fatally shot in a daring attack at a Starbucks café.
The murder of the 56-year-old politician, Luis Armando Cordova Diaz, was reported by the Spanish-language publication El Financiero. According to the report, the incident took place on May 14, 2025, at a Starbucks located in the Valle Real neighborhood in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.
PRI Leader Alejandro Moreno stated that Díaz was executed in broad daylight, an act that he said highlights the extent of violence and impunity in Mexico.
The former congressman was shot multiple times in the head by two men who arrived on a motorcycle while he was at a Starbucks with his wife and another person, according to the news outlet. He had served as both a local and federal deputy for the PRI party in Mexico, as reported by El Financiero.
Video emerged showing the scene’s aftermath.
According to the Spanish-language site Latin U.S., the former congressman was also the party secretary and was a former mayoral candidate.
In other recent incidents, a senior member of the Teocaltiche city government in Jalisco state, José Luis Pereira, was shot and killed in May 2025 while dining at a seafood restaurant. This assassination occurred in a region where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel operates, which had recently been designated a terrorist organization by the US government. The attack happened in an area that had already seen significant cartel violence, including the kidnapping and dismemberment of police officers just months earlier in February 2025.
A mayoral candidate, Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, from the ruling Morena party, was gunned down on May 12, 2025, in Texistepec, Veracruz. Her assassination was particularly shocking as it was captured during a Facebook livestream of her campaign rally. She was killed alongside three other people while greeting residents and parading through the streets with supporters. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the attack, stating that her government was coordinating with Veracruz state officials on the investigation.
Mexico continues to face a severe crisis of political violence in 2025, building upon the troubling patterns established during the record-breaking 2024 election cycle. The political landscape remains dangerous, particularly at local levels where criminal organizations exert significant influence to control government functions crucial to their operations.
The 2024 Mexican elections were the deadliest in modern Mexican history, with at least 63 political figures assassinated between June 2023 and June 2024, according to El Economista. During the campaign period, political murders became increasingly common, with criminal organizations using assassination as a tool to influence electoral outcomes. This violence primarily targeted local candidates who could potentially interfere with cartel interests.
The political violence that characterized the 2024 elections has persisted into 2025. Mexico remains one of the most dangerous countries for political figures, journalists, and human rights defenders.
The fragmentation of major cartels, particularly the conflict between the CJNG (Jalisco New Generation Cartel) and the Sinaloa Cartel, has intensified in 2025. These organizations have expanded beyond drug trafficking into various economic activities, increasing their desire to control local government.
- Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Guerrero remain particularly dangerous regions, with criminal turf wars focused on strategic areas. In these states, political assassinations continue to be used as a means of establishing territorial control and influence over local governance.
The ongoing violence has severe implications for Mexican democracy. Many potential candidates avoid running for office due to safety concerns, while others campaign with extensive security details, wearing bulletproof vests and traveling in armored vehicles. This environment restricts political participation and undermines the democratic process.
Local elections are particularly affected, as municipal presidents (mayors) control resources, tax revenue, and local police forces – all attractive targets for criminal influence. The systematic targeting of politicians who oppose criminal interests effectively allows organized crime to choose local officials by eliminating opposition.
President Sheinbaum’s administration has inherited the complex security challenges of her predecessor. While the government continues to provide security details to threatened politicians, the effectiveness of these measures remains limited. The persistence of political assassinations highlights the challenges Mexico faces in combating the influence of organized crime on its democratic institutions.
Mexico’s fight against political violence takes place against a backdrop of broader security concerns, including one of the world’s highest rates of disappearances, with over 115,000 people missing as of September 2024. This combination of factors presents significant challenges to the country’s governance and democratic integrity in 2025.
