Threats by organized crime force mayor to flee Zacatecas town

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June 8, 2021

The Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas, municipal palace. State and federal officers and the military have been providing security due to organized crime threats.

A mayor has fled the small Zacatecas municipality he governs after receiving threats from organized crime.

Ramiro Sánchez Mercado, Institutional Revolutionary Party mayor of Monte Escobedo, located in southwestern Zacatecas on the border with Jalisco, left town with his family in May and will carry out his mayoral duties virtually, the state government said last week.

In light of his departure and the resignation of the municipal government secretary, who also received threats, the Monte Escobedo council agreed to allow a state government envoy to take charge of day-to-day business. Alejandro Arce Pantoja was sworn in as temporary secretary of the municipal council in a ceremony presided over virtually by Mayor Sánchez last Wednesday.

Prior to Arce’s arrival, the municipal palace had remained closed for two weeks.

In late May, some 100 armed men arrived in town and told municipal authorities that they were going to take over the municipal palace, according to a report by the newspaper La Jornada that cited witness accounts published on social media and reporting by local news outlets.

Mayor of Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas, Ramiro Sánchez Mercado — Monte Escobedo Mayor Ramiro Sánchez.

The newspaper El Universal reported that the armed men demanded to occupy several areas of the building. In the absence of the mayor — his whereabouts at the time were unclear — council personnel “became frightened and called 911 to ask for the presence of the army.”

Arce told El Universal that all the workers abandoned the government building, and its doors were closed. He said the unidentified armed men fled due to the expected arrival of the army which, along with the National Guard and state police, remains in Monte Escobedo: it doesn’t have a single municipal police officer since the local police chief — and sole officer — was abducted and murdered in January.

The council’s call to authorities for help is presumed to have been the trigger for direct threats being made against the mayor and the former municipal secretary, “who decided to abandon their land together with their families,” El Universal said.

A replacement council secretary was sought among residents of Monte Escobedo, which has a population of about 8,000, but nobody accepted the position due to the fear that they might be targeted next.

Arce, who traveled from Zacatecas city to take up the secretary’s role, said the deployment of security forces to the municipality, where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel are fighting for control, is allowing things to get back to normal.

However, polling booths were not set up in some Monte Escobedo communities on Sunday due to the threat posed by organized crime. It is unclear when the mayor will return or whether he will return at all.

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He is due to leave office later this year.

Zacatecas is coveted by criminal groups due to its location between Pacific coast ports where drugs enter the country and Mexico’s northeastern border with the United States.

It was the sixth most violent state last month in terms of sheer homicide numbers after Guanajuato, México state, Michoacán, Jalisco and Chihuahua, according to preliminary figures.

With reports from El Universal (sp) and La Jornada (sp)

Victim of crocodile attack was swimming in area where crocs are common

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MND Staff

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June 8, 2021

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The woman who was attacked by a crocodile near Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, on Sunday was swimming in an area known to be a danger zone for its large crocodile population.

Backpackers Melissa Laurie, 28, and twin sister Georgia Laurie, from Berkshire, UK, and 23 other tourists went on a boat tour to Puerto Suelo beach near Manialtepec Lagoon, reported the local news portal Ecos del Pacífico.

A number of the tourists diverged from the group and walked across the beach to the mouth of the lagoon where they entered the water.

According to witnesses, the sisters swam through the river which connects the lagoon to the beach, advancing more than 300 meters against the current. They tired, and chose to swim to shore over a grassy area without noticing that there was a crocodile within.

Melissa Laurie was attacked by the reptile and dragged underwater. Her sister fought it off, punching it until it let go.

Tour guide Arturo Venegas, who was in the vicinity, described the area. “We know that it’s a place with a lot of [crocodiles]. We knew that the two girls … got in in the part of the river where there is a lot of undergrowth, and that was where the girl was attacked by the animal,” he said.

Guillermo Silva, a local public safety officer, took part in an investigation to reconfigure the events. He attested to the dangers of swimming in the area, and explained his theory as to why the crocodile attacked. “This is not an area for tourism, it’s an area that nests crocodiles above all else. It is rainy season and that makes it even easier for crocodiles to nest. Where the accident happened there is a probability of nesting crocodiles, and a female could have been defending her eggs,” he said.

Melissa Laurie is currently in an induced coma because of fears of infection, while Georgia is recovering from her injuries.

The sisters are in the midst of a backpacking tour around the world. They left the UK in March and had planned to return home in November.

CORRECTION: Information about the boat tour and the prevalence of crocodiles was incorrect in the previous version of this story.

With reports from Ecos del Pacífico

Maya ruins of Ek’ Balam pack much to see in a small footprint

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Thilini Wijesinhe

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June 8, 2021

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The Maya ruins of Ek' Balam in Yucatán. INAH

Situated 27 kilometers from Valladolid, Yucatán, off Highway 295, the archaeological zone of Ek’ Balam has one of the largest ancient Maya structures in Mesoamerica, the area from central Mexico to northern Costa Rica. Hidden in the jungles, the site is near several cenotes and close to the famous Maya city of Chichén Itzá.

The site was mentioned in the Spanish document “Relación de Ek’ Balam” in 1579 by Juan Gutiérrez Picón, although archaeological explorations only commenced in the late 20th century. The name is Yucatec Mayan for dark jaguar or black jaguar as well as bright star jaguar.

The site is widely thought to be named after the founding ruler, Ek’ Balam, or Coch Cal Balam, who supposedly ruled for 40 years, but the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) says evidence of such a king has not been discovered. Archaeologists have identified five rulers so far from the glyphs found onsite.

Ek’ Balam, identified as the capital of the Talol kingdom, was occupied from around 300 B.C. and then peaked in development during A.D. 600–900. It was abandoned in the 16th century. During its peak, the settlement reached around 12 square kilometers, although the walled area is only about one square kilometer. Hence it is a relatively small archaeological zone.

The site has 45 structures, three walls, and five “white roads” — ancient gravel roads with a white surface — as well as tall, sculpted stone stelae and other monuments. Archaeologists have noted overlapping construction stages and different architectural styles here.

Archway at Ek' Balam — This archway is the main entrance to the site.

Two walls surround the main area, and the third connects the key buildings. The walls are thought to have symbolically barred access to certain sections of the site, since at an estimated height of around 1 1/2 meters, they are too low to serve as defense. Still, a defensive purpose is also considered a possibility.

We entered the site from one of the white roads on the south. At the entrance is a beautiful arch-like structure with a ramp, considered the main entrance to the walled section of the site.

East of the entrance is the South Plaza. An interesting structure here is a round building on a rectangular base called the Oval Palace, considered an elite residence as well as a ceremonial building. There are several rooms on two floors and a temple on top.

Archaeologists discovered burials and offerings here. The views of the main pyramid and the site from the top of the palace are stunning.

West of the plaza is a structure called the Twins — two identical buildings with separate stairways on a rectangular platform — measuring 40 meters in length, 17 meters in width, and around six meters in height. Two stucco masks were discovered here. No exact purpose for these buildings has been identified, although there has been some speculation they were temples.

East of the plaza is a large structure on a rectangular base with multiple buildings and a temple, also worth seeing. A must-see in this section, however, is the stela from A.D. 840 depicting Ek’ Balam’s rulers.

The royal palace at Ek' Balam, known as the Acropolis. — The Acrópolis. The covered areas are rooms.

The South Plaza has the third wall connecting the main buildings, considered possibly ceremonial in purpose. It also restricts access to the central area. The North Plaza has the largest and the oldest buildings of the site.

Perhaps the most significant building of Ek’ Balam is the Acrópolis or the royal palace — a six-level pyramid building measuring 160 meters in length, around 68 meters in width and 32 meters in height. This pyramid has two wings, to the east and west, separated by a large stairway, and there are several structures and passages within the compound.

You can climb to the top of this building, where the panoramic views from the summit are breathtaking. On either side of the main stairways are beautiful serpent-head sculptures with extended tongues and Maya hieroglyphs referred to as the Hieroglyphic Serpents.

An absolute must-see, however, is the fourth-level room whose name Sak Xok Naah means the white house of reading. It houses the tomb of the first known king, Ukit Kan Le’t Tok, or the father of the four flint fronts. He has also been identified as the builder of the Acrópolis pyramid.

Archaeologists found several thousand pieces of funeral offerings here. Although the room is cordoned off to visitors, you will not tire of observing from the outside the extremely well-preserved sculptures and designs of different characters, including angels.

The most notable sculpture, perhaps, is the magnificent stucco piece representing the Earth Monster with its open jaws, which sits by the room’s entrance.

Ek' Balam in Yucatan — Known as “the white house of reading,” this room houses the tomb of Ukit Kan Le’t Tok, one of Ek’ Balam’s most important rulers.

There are additional structures to see on the Acrópolis pyramid, which is also the site where the ancient text Mural of the 96 Glyphs was discovered.

East and west of the North Plaza are two large still-to-be excavated buildings. The Maya ball court southwest of the North Plaza is also worth seeing.

For a refreshing swim after exploring the entire site, the cenote X’Canché, in the jungle around 1 1/2 kilometers from the ruins, is ideal. X’Canché is around 15 meters below ground level, with a diameter of around 50 meters.

You can also engage in adventure sports here, such as zip-lining and rappelling. The tranquil surroundings and the rest area with palapas — umbrella-like manmade structures with palm-leaf thatch roofs and open sides — is a relaxing experience, especially in the hot climate of Yucatán.

Thilini Wijesinhe, a financial professional turned writer and entrepreneur, moved to Mexico in 2019 from Australia. She writes from Mérida, Yucatán. Her website can be found at https://momentsing.com/

12 states decide it’s too early to reopen schools

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MND Staff

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June 8, 2021

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Kids returning to in person classes in mexico city — In Mexico City, more than 1,000 schools welcomed students back on Monday, but 12 other states have decided against reopening until the next school year.

Twelve states have decided not to reopen schools until the 2021–2022 school year due to the ongoing coronavirus risk, federal Education Minister Delfina Gómez said Tuesday.

Schools across Mexico closed in March last year due to the pandemic but are now open in 15 states, Gómez told reporters at President López Obrador’s morning news conference.

However, the education minister said that authorities in Baja California Sur, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Sonora, Tabasco, Tlaxcala and Yucatán have decided not to reopen schools until the new school year begins in August.

Schools in those states will continue to offer online learning during the remainder of the current academic year, which officially concludes on July 9.

According to federal government guidelines, schools can reopen once a state reaches the green light level on the stoplight map.

As of Monday, there are 19 green states in Mexico, a figure that includes seven states — Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro and Tlaxcala — that have decided not to reopen schools this academic year.

Although those green-light states won’t reopen schools for at least another two months, Gómez highlighted that more than 24,000 schools in 730 municipalities across Mexico are already open.

Among them are more than 1,000 schools in Mexico City that welcomed back students on Monday, the day the capital switched to green on the stoplight map.

All of Mexico’s teachers have been given the opportunity to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Alfonso Cepeda, head of the SNTE teachers union, said teachers will ensure that virus prevention measures are followed in schools and called for more of them to reopen.

“The time has come to gradually return to classes. The time has come to return to our schools to resume together the path of education, learning, harmonious coexistence and enhancement of our nation,” Cepeda said in a video message.

“… [But] we can’t drop our guard,” he also said. “The teachers will not only look after their health but will be attentive to the health of the students. We’re returning [to school] safely, voluntarily, with a green stoplight, with teachers vaccinated. Together we have to build … a V for victory in the education of Mexico.”

“The vaccination of teachers will provide tranquility to teaching staff, mothers and fathers and students. We’ll be the first to ensure that the [health] protocols are met,” he said.

With reports from Reforma (sp)

Mexico backs minimum global corporate tax plan

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MND Staff

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June 8, 2021

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ministry of finance — Mexico's Ministry of Finance, or SHCP, asked the U.S. Treasury Department to provide evidence to back up the allegations against Mexican banks. (File photo)

Mexico has come out in support of the Group of Seven’s (G7) plan for a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15%.

It will join other G20 members next month in Venice to discuss a broader accord.

The historic agreement was made on the weekend to squeeze more money out of multinational companies by reducing the prevalence of offshore tax havens.

Deputy Finance Minister Gabriel Yorio said the administration would look to include the framework in the 2022 September budget if the deal holds.

“We’re going to see if we can have an early definition of how this tax would work operationally … if we have time, we would include it in the 2022 budget plan,” he said.

“We are pleased with the initiative because it facilitates a global agreement and avoids competition to lower rates,” he added.

The Group of Seven is an informal club of wealthy democracies consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The G20 incorporates 20 of the world’s most powerful economies, including the G7 countries, Russia, China and Mexico.

With reports from Reuters

Voters in Colima reject the PRI after 72 years and go with Morena

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MND Staff

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June 8, 2021

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Indira Vizcaíno, Morena governor-elect in state of Colima, Mexico — Morena politician Indira Vizcaíno will be Colima's first non-Institutional Revolutionary Party governor in 72 years and the state's second female governor.

More than 70 years of uninterrupted Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) power in the small Pacific coast state of Colima will come to an end later this year after a Morena party candidate triumphed at Sunday’s election for governor.

The PRI, which ruled Mexico for much of the 20th century in what Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa described as a “perfect dictatorship,” has been in office in Colima since 1949.

But its candidate for governor, Mely Romero Celis, who ran on a ticket supported by the National Action Party and the Democratic Revolution Party, was defeated in Sunday’s election by Morena-New Alliance aspirant Indira Vizcaíno Silva, who attracted about 33% of the vote, according to preliminary results.

Vizcaíno, a lawyer, former federal government delegate and ex-federal deputy, will take office on November 1, becoming Colima’s second female governor after Griselda Álvarez, who governed between 1979 and 1985 as Mexico’s first female governor.

So what went wrong for the PRI after 72 years in power? Its failure to contain violence.

Colima is Mexico's fourth smallest state. — Colima is Mexico’s fourth smallest state.

Colima has been one of the most violent states in Mexico in recent years, regularly ranking first among the 32 states for its per capita homicide rate. The state is home to Mexico’s most important port, Manzanillo, which attracts cartels that use the facility to import narcotics and other illicit goods, including precursor chemicals from Asia that are used to manufacture synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The high homicide rate in Colima is largely attributed to the presence of cartels, who fight each other for control of a small but lucrative state that is wedged between two other notoriously violent states, Michoacán and Jalisco. The PRI state government’s inability, or unwillingness, to crush the cartels and consequently reduce the high levels of violence was likely a key reason for many voters’ rejection of the party in Sunday’s election.

Two high-profile cases last year serve as compelling evidence of just how bad things have become in Colima, once considered one of Mexico’s safest holiday destinations.

In early June 2020, the body of Francis Anel Bueno Sánchez, a 38-year-old Morena party legislator, was found days after she was abducted, while about two weeks later, a judge and his wife were murdered in front of their children in their Colima city home. Uriel Villegas Ortiz handled drug trafficking and other organized crime cases, delivering judgments in several cases involving senior Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel leaders.

Further tarnishing the reputation of Colima is that numerous clandestine mass graves have recently been found there and that the state has a serious femicide problem.

That voters would be fed up with the rampant violence in their state and dissatisfied with the PRI for failing to combat it is not surprising.

But whether Morena — which as Mexico’s ruling party since 2018 has been unable to reduce the nation’s sky-high homicide numbers — can bring the change to Colima that voters are looking for remains to be seen.

With reports from El Universal (sp)

Traffickers steal bright purple bus to send migrants north

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MND Staff

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June 8, 2021

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A National Guardsman in front of the stolen bus Monday in Tlaxcala.

Human traffickers chose a bright purple bus to steal near Mexico City in order to transport migrants toward the U.S. border but they didn’t get far.

The bus was stopped on a highway in Calpulalpan, Tlaxcala, on Monday by the National Guard after they identified it from a stolen vehicle report.

At least 57 migrants, 16 of whom were minors, from Haiti, Chile, Brazil and Honduras were found on the bus, traveling in the direction of Hidalgo toward Monterrey, Nuevo León.

Passengers told officers that they had paid for the trip to Monterrey and planned to travel to the U.S. border from there.

The migrants were taken to the offices of the National Guard in Calpulalpan and then transferred to the Tlaxcala immigration office. Unaccompanied minors were handed over to child welfare authorities and the driver was detained.

Migration is the central topic of today’s meeting between President López Obrador and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

So far this year, Mexican authorities have detained 90,850 migrants, mainly from Central America, and deported 42,000 of them. About half of the total were from Honduras, followed by Guatemala and El Salvador. Twenty percent of all the migrants detained were under 18.

Sources: AP, MVS Noticias (sp)

Morena had support from organized crime in Michoacán, opposition charges

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MND Staff

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June 8, 2021

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Voting in Aguililla, Michoacan — Voting in the troubled municipality of Aguililla progressed without incident Sunday, although that was not the case in other parts of Michoacán.

Organized crime groups directly intervened in the elections in several municipalities in Michoacán in favor of Mexico’s ruling Morena party, according to opposition party leaders.

Citizens and local officials with the National Electoral Institute (INE) also reported that armed individuals turned up at some Michoacán polling stations and forced election officials and citizens to cast votes in favor of the Morena-Labor Party (PT) alliance.

Many incidents occurred in the notoriously violent and lawless Tierra Caliente region, but there were also reports of criminal interference in elections in central Michoacán, in municipalities such as Salvador Escalante and Tacámbaro, and in the state’s east.

“The link between the official party [Morena] and organized crime on election day in Michoacán is clear and alarming to us,” said Víctor Manuel Manríquez González, a leader of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), which allied itself with the National Action Party (PAN) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to contest elections in Michoacán and other states.

“It’s even more serious that the president, in his morning press conference today [Monday], acknowledged and thanked organized crime for behaving well on election day,” he told a press conference in Morelia at which other PAN-PRI-PRD leaders also denounced criminal interference.

“There is evidence of threats toward voters by the powers that be,” Manríquez said.

In Múgica, a Tierra Caliente municipality, PAN-PRI-PRD representatives were forced by criminal suspects to abandon a polling station, he said.

In Turicato, another Tierra Caliente municipality, “an armed group threatened and intimidated polling station representatives,” the PRD official said. “… Armed people were [subsequently] identified filling out ballots in favor of Morena,” he added.

“… In Apatzingán, people arrived at two polling stations and stole ballot boxes,” Manríquez said.

In La Huacana, PAN-PRI-PRD representatives were threatened, he said.

According to security reports cited by the newspaper El Universal, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) forced citizens in La Huacana to vote in favor of Morena. The CJNG also clashed with the Cárteles Unidos in the hours before polling stations opened and cut off one of the entry points to the troubled municipality of Aguililla, El Universal said.

Police reports also said that armed men forced voters to cast ballots in favor of Morena and PT candidates in Gabriel Zamora, which borders La Huacana to the north.

“In San Lucas, armed men stole two ballot boxes, and there were gunshots right there. In Tacámbaro, … [there were] armed people threatening citizens and in Cojumatlán, … ballot boxes were stolen,” Manríquez said.

The PRD official also said that there was criminal interference in elections in Juárez, a municipality in eastern Michoacán, and in the Tierra Caliente municipalities of Tumbiscatío and Buenavista.

A polling station chief in Santa Clara del Cobre, the municipal seat of Salvador Escalante, was detained by a criminal group and forced to fill out ballots in favor of Morena, El Universal reported.

Francisco Javier Rincón García, an INE official in Michoacán, confirmed that there were incidents in which armed individuals coerced voters and election officials.

Teresita Herrera Maldonado, leader of the PAN in Michoacán, claimed Monday that there were more invalid votes than the number of votes that separated apparently triumphant Morena gubernatorial candidate Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla from PAN-PRI-PRD candidate Carlos Herrera Tello.

“The number of invalid votes at this time is above 55,000 while the difference between the candidates is 40,000. Other things that need to be investigated are the number of polling stations that opened late and the absence of a high percentage of polling station officials,” she said.

With reports from Reforma (sp) and El Universal (sp)

Puebla sinkhole now 110 meters across at its widest point

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MND Staff

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June 8, 2021

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A sinkhole that appeared in a Puebla field late last month has continued to expand, eating its way into the perimeter wall of a house and forcing authorities to widen a security perimeter around it.

The big hole in Santa María Zacatepec, about 20 kilometers northwest of Puebla city, had grown another 13 meters as of Monday, measuring 110 meters across at its widest point. Its total area is 11,000 square meters.

The nine-meter-deep sinkhole has already destroyed a bedroom and part of a wall of a house that sits on the edge.

Among the possible causes are a geological fault or variations in the soil’s water content, according to scientists and authorities. Some locals believe that it’s related to the overexploitation of groundwater reserves.

One architect has speculated there could be an underground river at the base of the sinkhole after evaluating photos taken by a drone.

Socavón de Puebla crece de tamaño y sufre deslaves al interior: Segob

Watch this video on YouTube

Interior Minister Ana Lucía Hill Mayoral said that over the weekend authorities carried out geophysical, hydrological and chemical studies to ascertain the cause, and that conclusions will be drawn in the coming days.

Magdalena Xalamihua, who lived with her husband and two children in the endangered home, said that they noticed a sulfur smell three days before the sinkhole appeared.

Nicasio Torres, 62, who has lived in Zacatepec all his life, echoed the fears of his neighbors. “We worry that it will continue to get bigger,” he said after arriving at the sinkhole on a bicycle. “What is going to happen to us? Are they going to evacuate us? We don’t have anywhere to go,” he added.

The sinkhole measured only 10 meters across when it appeared May 29.

It has become an attraction for Puebla residents and local police have taken action to prevent traffic on ground that has already proven itself to be fragile.

With reports from El País (en), Milenio (sp), El Universal (sp)

6 people killed in pre-voting day violence in Chiapas

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MND Staff

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June 7, 2021

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PRD members slain in Chiapas — Among the slain Democratic Revolution Party members were four members of the same family. They were transporting electoral materials.

Six people were killed in Chiapas on Saturday in yet another act of election-related aggression during what was Mexico’s most violent electoral period ever.

Five of the six people killed were members of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), according to Ángel Ávila, who represents the PRD at the National Electoral Institute (INE).

According to a report by the newspaper Reforma, five PRD members and another person who was driving the car in which they were traveling were shot dead in an ambush staged by armed men in another vehicle. The murders occurred in Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán, located in a mountainous region of Chiapas near the border with Tabasco.

Among the slain PRD members were four members of the same family: Bernardino Sánchez López, his son, his daughter and his son-in-law.

The attack occurred as Sánchez was being taken to hospital. The family, who was transporting electoral material for use at a polling booth in Pueblo Nuevo, had been targeted in an earlier ambush on Saturday in which Sánchez was wounded. He was to have worked at a polling station on Sunday.

Forensic experts examine a polling station in Tijuana into which a man threw a human head Sunday before fleeing.

The murders are believed to be related to a dispute with the Social Encounter Party.

The 2020–2021 electoral period was marred by violence that spilled over into election day itself. Here’s a brief summary of some of the other incidents of election-related violence that occurred in recent days.

A candidate for mayor in Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, was targeted in an attack by two men on motorcycles early on Saturday morning. A vehicle in which Fuerza por México candidate Rubero Suárez was traveling was hit by at least four bullets and veered off the road before hitting a tree. Suárez was uninjured but two of his team members were wounded, requiring hospital treatment, according to the newspaper El Financiero.
An INE official was shot dead in El Carmen Tequexquitla, Tlaxcala, on Friday night while traveling in a vehicle emblazoned with the INE initials. Armed men traveling on motorcycles reportedly carried out the attack and attempted to steal electoral material such as ballots. Other INE personnel traveling in the vehicle were not harmed in the incident, which occurred on the Mexico City-Veracruz highway.
New Alliance party candidate for mayor in Miahuátlan de Porfirio Díaz, Oaxaca, César Figueroa Jiménez, was also attacked by armed men on motorcycles while traveling on Saturday. Police traveling with the candidate returned fire, and the three aggressors were arrested, according to Oaxaca Security Minister Heliodoro Díaz Escárraga. No injuries were reported.
In Tijuana, Baja California, authorities reported that a man threw a decapitated human head into a polling station on Sunday. The man then fled, and authorities didn’t reveal whether he was later taken into custody. Plastic bags filled with human remains, including severed hands, were also found in the area.
In Naucalpan, México state — where a group of former military personnel was running on a joint ticket — someone threw a smoke bomb into a polling station Sunday. One person told the news agency Reuters that crowds of voters dispersed but soon returned to cast their ballots. “People said that they would vote and that they would not be intimidated,” the voter said. “It was ugly.”
Erick Ulises Ramírez, a Citizens Movement party candidate in Guerrero who survived an attempt on his life last month, said that two of his allies were abducted and beaten before being released on election day.
The Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office reported that armed men stole voting materials from polling stations in the northern state.
A group of troublemakers attacked voters and tried to steal election materials in Metepec, México state. The National Guard and state police intervened and arrested at least 15 people.

The violence in the final days leading up to the election added to almost 800 acts of election-related aggression that were recorded between last September, when the campaign period began, and the end of May. Among the incidents were the murders of at least 35 candidates and more than 50 other politicians, according to Etellekt, a risk analysis firm that tracks political violence. The majority of the attacks targeted municipal-level candidates and politicians.

Despite the rampant violence leading up to them, Sunday’s elections — the largest in Mexico’s history — ran smoothly, according to the INE, and were peaceful, with the exception of isolated incidents. The INE reported that it installed more than 99% of the polling booths it planned to set up, but violence did prevent people from voting in small pockets of some states, including Puebla, Michoacán and Oaxaca.

With reports from Reforma (sp), El País (sp), Milenio (sp), Reuters (en) and El Financiero (sp)