Claudia Sheinbaum regrets the murder of a Mexican deputy in Veracruz and promises justice
Posted on 12/12/24 at 12:24
- Claudia Sheinbaum Condemns Political Assassination of Benito Aguas
- Electoral Violence Cases on the Rise
- Veracruz Investigates Attack on Deputy
Claudia Sheinbaum expressed sorrow on Tuesday over the assassination of federal deputy Benito Aguas from the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico.
The president of Mexico vowed justice would be served, according to EFE.
“We deeply regret what happened, and we have asked the Secretariat (of Security and Citizen Protection) to immediately contact the governor (Rocío Nahle of Veracruz)…”
This aims to provide any necessary support to ensure justice is achieved. The leader made these statements during her morning press conference.
Another Victim Lost Alongside Deputy Benito Aguas
The Mexican president addressed the attack that occurred Monday in Zongolica, where Benito Aguas had previously served as mayor. The congressman remained in critical condition for hours after being attacked with a firearm, according to the Veracruz State Attorney General’s Office. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Passenger who tried to hijack plane claims he received ‘threatening message’ Reports indicated that another man, identified as Agustín Linares López, an engineer, also lost his life in the attack. No suspects, arrests, or motives have been reported yet.
Sheinbaum mentioned that, for now, there are no plans for the investigation to be taken over by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR).
“We’ll monitor the progress made by the Veracruz prosecutor’s office, and based on that, we’ll decide if support from the national prosecutor is needed,” she emphasized.
Benito Aguas’s assassination occurred just hours before Sheinbaum was scheduled to attend a National Security Council meeting in Acapulco.
She announced plans to propose the same security strategy and discuss the budget during the session.
“They’ll be presented with mechanisms for reviewing security expenditures alongside many governors,” Sheinbaum explained.
She reiterated that the current security plan focuses on four main pillars:
Addressing root causes, strengthening the National Guard, intelligence and investigation, and coordination.
The assassination of Benito Aguas comes after the civil organization Data Cívica reported that 2024 has already become the most violent year for political crime in Mexico.
Political Violence Escalates in Mexico
[caption id="attachment_1483742" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
As of November, 617 cases of political violence have been recorded in Mexico.This surpasses the 570 cases documented throughout 2023, according to the latest update of the “Voting Amid Bullets” report.
The murder of Benito Aguas highlights that political violence persists even after the June 2 elections.
These elections were deemed the most violent in history, with over 30 candidates killed, as documented by independent organizations like Data Cívica and DataInt.
Witnesses stated that at least one man on a motorcycle attacked Benito Aguas while he was traveling in a truck.
According to El Financiero, during his campaign for federal deputy, he requested personal protection from the National Electoral Institute.
He had security concerns in the area.
This came after a series of robberies and attacks targeting political figures in the region.
Reports from La Opinión indicated that Benito Aguas suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
He had visited the municipality to connect with local residents.
At the time of writing, authorities have yet to release further details regarding the assassination.
Different criminal groups are known to compete for control of this area of Veracruz, a strategic location for drug trafficking to the United States and for migrant transit.
CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST FOR THIS AND OTHER NEWS
[caption id="attachment_1449459" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
PHOTO: MundoNOW