URUAPAN, MEXICO — The mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, was fatally shot Saturday night in the town's historic center while dozens of residents and tourists gathered for Day of the Dead celebrations.
Rodríguez was gunned down in the plaza and rushed to a hospital, where he later died, according to state prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña. A city council member and a bodyguard were also injured in the assault.
The attacker, an unidentified man who shot the mayor seven times, was killed at the scene, Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch told journalists Sunday. Harfuch noted that the weapon used in the attack was linked to two previous armed clashes between rival criminal groups operating in the region.
“No line of investigation is being ruled out to clarify this cowardly act that took the life of the mayor,” García Harfuch stated.
The slain mayor, a former legislator for the ruling Morena party who won his office as an independent, had been under police protection since December 2024, three months after taking office. This security was reinforced in May 2025 with municipal police and 14 National Guard officers, though the specific reason for the measure was not detailed by García Harfuch.
Outspoken Critic of Cartels and Corruption
In the months leading up to his death, Manzo Rodríguez had publicly appealed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on social media, pleading for federal help to confront cartels and criminal groups. He had also leveled accusations of corruption against Michoacán’s pro-government governor, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, and the state police.
The brazen attack, which occurred in the agricultural town known for its avocado crops, was captured on video and circulated on social media. The footage shows people enjoying the festive scene, complete with candles, marigolds, and skull decorations, before multiple gunshots ring out, sending the crowd scattering for cover.
On Sunday, hundreds of Uruapan residents, dressed in black and holding the mayor's photographs, took to the streets for his funeral procession. They were heard chanting “Justice! Justice! Out with Morena!”
The procession was led by a man guiding the mayor's black horse, with one of Manzo Rodríguez’s signature hats placed on the saddle. Musicians, also dressed in black, followed, playing mariachi songs. Dozens of police and military officers stood guard along the narrow streets.
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