"I Don't Want to Die": Mexican Mayor Who Wore a Bulletproof Vest Killed Again

[Financial News] The mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, in western Mexico, was shot and killed by an assailant in a public square where dozens of residents had gathered.

In an interview before his death, Mayor Manso referenced the ordeals faced by previous mayors of Mexican cities who fell victim to criminal organizations, saying, "I don't want to die." However, he was unable to escape the bullets.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other foreign media on the 4th, Mayor Manso, 40, was shot and killed by an assailant during a Day of the Dead event in a city square the previous day.
The suspects fired seven shots at the mayor while citizens were holding a ceremony to honor deceased relatives and friends. Mayor Manso was known to regularly wear a bulletproof vest as a precaution against attacks, but it is unclear whether he was wearing it at the time of the shooting.
A city council member and a bodyguard were also injured in the incident. Mexican authorities stated that the firearm used by the suspect was linked to a local criminal organization. One suspect was killed at the scene, and two others were arrested.
This is the second time in two weeks that a sitting mayor has been killed in Mexico, following the death of Miguel Bájena Solórzano, mayor of Pisa Flores, Hidalgo, who was shot and killed on his way home last month.
Police believe the attack was carried out by a criminal organization that harbored resentment against Mayor Manso, who had publicly called for the eradication of organized crime.
Since taking office in September last year, Mayor Manso had declared a 'war on crime,' insisting that criminals who resist arrest should be shot.
Uruapan is a major center for avocado cultivation, one of Mexico's key export crops. Criminal organizations are known to extort and commit violence against farmers over control of the avocado industry. The area is also a major site for growing drug-related crops, making it a key transit point for drug smuggling.
Meanwhile, in October last year, Alejandro Arcos, mayor of Chilpancingo de los Bravo, Guerrero, was found beheaded just six days after taking office. In June, Martha Laura Mendoza Mendoza, mayor of Tepalcatepec, Michoacán, was shot and killed along with her husband, and in the same month, Lilia Hema García, mayor of San Mateo Piñas, Oaxaca, and her staff were also shot dead.

moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter