VIOLENCE

18 Mayoral Candidates Killed Before July Elections in Mexico

Two were killed in a 24-hour period.

Eighteen Mexican mayoral candidates have been killed, including two who died within 24 hours of each other, ahead of the country’s July 1 elections. In the state of Michoacán, independent candidate Omar Gomez Lucatero was fatally shot Wednesday. Left-wing Democratic Revolution Party candidate Fernando Angeles Juarez was then killed in Ocampo on Thursday. Others who were thinking about running were assassinated before they officially joined the race. Killings have been most frequent in Michoacán, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, states in the southwest part of the country. Over 15,000 candidates are running for 3,400 positions in the upcoming elections.