Despite asking for security protection, Gisela Gaytan, the ruling party’s mayoral candidate for Celaya, was shot and killed during a campaign event in central Mexico.
Adrian Guerrero, a candidate for city council, was also claimed to have been “fatally shot” at first, but The Guardian noted that the security ministry later verified Guerrero was missing.
Gaytan, a 38-year-old former lawyer, was shot and died on Monday in Celaya, Guanajuato, after she gave her security strategy plan presentation prior to a gathering. The killing is being looked into by the state prosecutor, but no one has been taken into custody.
Gaytan’s killing is the result of turf disputes between criminal gangs and Guanajuato state’s high homicide rates, albeit the exact reason for her death is unknown.
In Celaya, one of the bloodiest cities in the world, Gaytan was the sole female contender.
She belonged to the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), the political organization led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Gaytan had earlier in the day informed reporters that Morena had asked the government for protection for her campaign. “We are looking at the issue to see how it can be resolved,” she stated. “Let’s see if they have an answer for us today.”
Rosa Icela Rodriguez, the minister of security, declared an investigation into why Gaytan was not given protection by the government and pledged justice.
