Sunday, October 13, 2024

Michoacán mayor’s slaying triggers violence in divided town

Violence flared in Nahuatzen, Michoacán, yesterday after the mayor was abducted and killed.

The body of David Eduardo Otlica Avilés was found in the municipality of Coeneo at around 10:00am yesterday hours after he was forcibly removed from his home by a group of men.

An autopsy revealed that the mayor had received a machete wound to his head and that he had been subjected to torture.

Around an hour after state authorities reported the discovery of Otlica’s body, a group of Nahuatzen residents went to municipal headquarters to accuse members of the Indigenous Citizens’ Council (CCI) of the mayor’s murder.

The latter – who opposed the deceased mayor’s rule – threw fireworks in an attempt to disperse the angry residents who responded by throwing rocks at the municipal palace.

The Michoacán government deployed 250 state police officers to restore peace to the streets of Nahuatzen. No arrests or injuries were reported.

The CCI has blocked access to the municipal offices to protest against what it claims were fraudulent local government elections last July.

The council also opposed Otlica’s manner of governing, arguing that Nahuatzen should be ruled by ancestral indigenous customs and traditions, a form of government known as usos y costumbres, and that the council should manage the municipal budget.

In November, the slain mayor filed a criminal complaint against members of the CCI for threats received both by him and other government officials and attacks to which they had been subjected. Four people were arrested, including the group’s leader, Gerardo Talavera.

The Michoacán Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said yesterday that it had opened an investigation into the mayor’s murder and pledged that “there will be no impunity.”

Otlica is the fifth Michoacán mayor killed since Governor Silvano Aureoles took office in October 2015.

Source: Milenio (sp) 

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Libertad dam in Nuevo León

Water in Mexico: A new series coming to MND

4
Mexico faces daunting challenges when it comes to water - Mexico News Daily's upcoming series will help inform and educate readers on this vital issue.
World Central Kitchen delivery van in Guerrero

World Central Kitchen returns to Guerrero, delivering 35,000 meals a day

0
The global food relief organization was on the ground following Hurricane Otis last year, and is back to help thousands affected by Hurricane John.
Pemex signage at Deer Park refinery

Gas leak at Pemex refinery in Deer Park, Texas kills 2, injures 13

1
The cause of the deadly hydrogen sulfide leak is still unknown.