Recently Elected Mexican Lawmaker Kidnapped at Gunpoint

Following an election cycle marred by violence, recently elected Mexican congresswoman Norma Azucena Rodríguez Zamora was kidnapped at gunpoint on a highway in the state of Hidalgo. Two men shot at her car, injuring the driver and causing the vehicle to overturn. They then removed Rodríguez from the car, and forced her into their vehicle. Zamora was elected July 1 to represent Veracruz, one of the country’s most violent states. Her term is scheduled to begin Sept. 1. She is a member of the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution and previously served as mayor of the city of Tihuatlán. The July election saw a rise in violence; at least 48 political candidates were murdered.