The newly elected mayor of Chilpancingo, the capital of Mexico’s violence-torn state of Guerrero, was murdered on Sunday, just six days after taking office, according to a statement by Guerrero’s Governor Evelyn Salgado. Alejandro Arcos, who was overseeing efforts to rebuild the city following recent floods, became the latest victim in a spate of political violence that has rocked the region.
“His loss mourns the entire Guerrero society and fills us with indignation,” Salgado said in a message shared on social media, adding that the state’s attorney general’s office had launched an investigation into the killing.
Reports emerged on Sunday evening after disturbing photos began circulating on messaging platforms, allegedly showing a severed head placed on top of a pickup truck, which appeared to belong to Arcos. Reuters has not independently verified the authenticity of these images, but they have added to the shock and horror of an already grieving community.
Arcos’ assassination occurred just three days after Francisco Tapia, the newly appointed city government secretary, was shot dead in a similarly violent attack. Tapia, like Arcos, had been in office for less than a week. Both men were viewed as young, committed officials working towards the betterment of their community.