By Karim Hammam
Mayor Grecia Quiroz moves through the streets of Uruapan under heavy security, nearly a year after her partner, former mayor Carlos Alberto Manzo, was gunned down during Day of the Dead celebrations. Manzo had gained a reputation as a fierce opponent of cartels, and his targeted killing has cast a pall over the city in Michoacan state, 250 miles west of Mexico City.
A mayor's crusade and killing
Manzo, who often wore a white sombrero, took the fight against criminal groups into his own hands, publicly instructing police to use lethal force against resisting criminals and personally directing patrols and arrests. He also openly challenged the ruling Morena party. His assassination in the city's crowded main plaza, amid marigold flowers, shocked the country on a day when criminal groups typically observe a truce. Federal and state authorities blame the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of more than 20 groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration.
Political rift and investigations
The killing triggered a bitter feud, with rival factions accusing each other of exploiting Manzo's death ahead of local elections. Quiroz has accused state officials from President Claudia Sheinbaum's party of colluding with criminal groups. Prosecutors have detained 34 people, including seven of Manzo's bodyguards, members of his government accused of leaking his movements, and his own godson, who allegedly helped plan the attack. The city's current welfare secretary was also detained on obstruction charges. Quiroz herself faces scrutiny for refusing to hand over Manzo's cellphone, while Manzo's brother, a Morena official, accuses her of covering for those responsible.
Surge in violence
As the political rift deepens, Uruapan has seen a spike in violence. In October alone, authorities documented 17 killings, eight gunshot injuries, four attacks on businesses and homes, and a series of robberies. A masked gunman killed a woman at a taco stand, and two men were found tortured and burned in an avocado field. Quiroz appealed to Sheinbaum's government for help, writing on X that "we cannot allow violence to become our new normal." The state responded by sending 200 additional law enforcement officers. Some residents say extortion by local mafias has increased since Manzo's death, while others believe Quiroz is doing her best under traumatic circumstances.
Lingering legacy
Manzo's presence still looms over Uruapan. Posters and busts tribute him in the plaza where he died, and his grave, open to the public, is covered with flowers, food offerings, and white sombreros. The headstone reads: "Not a single step backward." The killing is part of a broader pattern: at least 13 mayors have been slain across Mexico since Sheinbaum took office two years ago, compared with 23 during the previous administration's six years, according to tallies by the Associated Press and civil society groups.
