The 31-year-old mayor of a municipality in Tlaxcala known for its firefly sanctuary was found dead inside his home late Thursday night, possibly having taken his own life with less than three days remaining in his term.
Oswaldo Romano Valdés was one of the youngest mayors in Mexico when the people of Nanacamilpa elected him at age 28 in 2021. His three-year term was set to expire on Saturday, with the new mayor to be sworn in the next day.
Affiliated in recent years with the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), Romano was a political prodigy who joined a party at age 15 and began his political career in 2014 as a 21-year-old member of the Nanacamilpa city council.
The municipality he governed includes the popular Santuario de las Luciérnagas, a firefly sanctuary two hours northeast of Mexico City that “is one of Mexico’s most stunning natural treasures,” according to Mexico News Daily.
Nanacamilpa (population 18,700) is in the western part of Tlaxcala, Mexico’s smallest state by area and its fifth smallest by population. It borders México state and Hidalgo but is almost entirely surrounded by the state of Puebla.
Police reported Romano’s death early Friday morning after receiving a 911 call from his family. According to police reports, his body was found by relatives after 11 p.m. Thursday with a gunshot wound to his head and a gun at his feet.
The State Attorney General’s Office (FGJE) reported that the Public Ministry has opened an investigation into the cause of death.
His mother reportedly told police Romano was facing personal problems, so initial media reports speculated his death was a suicide.
Moreover, at 5:49 p.m. on Thursday, he posted a message on Facebook in which he stressed that people are not perfect and that elected leaders need help.
“One person can’t do it alone,” said his message, written in Spanish but translated here. “With the help of others, many things can be achieved and [the city will] move forward. One person alone cannot make the change, but with your help it is possible. We know there are people who think differently, not all of us are perfect.”
Some replied harshly, such as one person who wrote: “The townspeople cannot do it alone, but with officials like you, even less so. Instead of bringing Nanacamilpa forward, you left it in a deeper state than it was, not because of the people, but because of you and the minds you surrounded yourself with, making the city hall your ATM machine.”
Tlaxcala Governor Lorena Cuéllar sent condolences to the family and publicly described Romano as a great human being and a tireless fighter for Nanacamilpa. “His example of service and love for his people will always be remembered,” she said.
On Aug. 18, Romano posted on Facebook, “I love you life.” But one day earlier he shared a video in which he expressed that the final weeks of his administration had been difficult.
Just last week, the mayor’s office was shut down by police and other public security officials claiming they hadn’t received their last two paychecks. Some of them had reportedly gone on strike. They also said Romano had failed to deliver vouchers for children’s school supplies that had been promised.
Also, over the years, the mayor had taken heat for failing to put money into resuscitating the area’s lagging firefly tourism industry — which has picked up in recent weeks — and for not helping businesses hurt by the dropoff.
With reports from Infobae, El Sol de Tlaxcala and Milenio
