Mexican mayor who took hard line against drug gangs shot and killed at Day of the Dead event

A Mexican mayor who was outspoken in his opposition to drug cartels and pushed for hardline laws against trafficking was killed in a shooting at a Day of the Dead celebration this weekend.

Before his death, Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo had been critical of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for what he saw as a lack of effort in combating cartels. His city lies in Michoacán State, which suffers from particularly high levels of cartel violence.

“We need greater determination from the president of Mexico,” Manzo told local media in September, vowing not to take “a single step back.”

“I do not want to be just another mayor on the list of those who have been executed and had their lives taken away from them,” he continued. “I am very afraid, but I must face it with courage.”

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Carlos Manzo, Uruapan’s mayor and one of the few independent politicians elected to office in Mexico, attends a candlelight Day of the Dead festival in Uruapan, Michoacan State, Mexico, shortly before he was shot, resulting in his death, Nov. 1, 2025, in this screengrab taken from a live video streamed by his team and obtained from social media. (Carlos Manzo via Facebook/Handout via REUTERS)

State officials say Manzo was shot seven times on Saturday night during a Day of the Dead vigil. He died of his wounds in a nearby hospital.

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Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced an investigation into Manzo’s killing on Sunday.

Family and friends attend the funeral of Carlos Manzo, the mayor who was shot dead during a Day of the Dead event, in Uruapan, Mexico, Nov. 2, 2025. (REUTERS/Ivan Arias)

“We send our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and the residents of Uruapan, who today are experiencing a painful and unjust loss at the hands of organized crime,” Harfuch said at a press conference. “There will be no impunity.”

Authorities said Manzo’s security was extensive, comprised of officers handpicked by Manzo as well as 14 National Guard members.

A person holds a picture of Carlos Manzo, the mayor who was shot dead during a Day of the Dead event, in Uruapan, Mexico, Nov. 2, 2025. (REUTERS/Ivan Arias)

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Manzo’s aggressive approach to crime earned him the moniker “Mexican Bukele,” referring to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has led a massive crackdown on gang violence in his country. According to the New York Times, Manzo had been critical of Sheinbaum’s approach to cartel issues since her inauguration in October 2024.

“If she thinks she’s going to detain these criminals without a single shot fired and that they’ll just turn themselves in, well, she should get it done,” Manzo said in a May speech, referring to Sheinbaum. “And believe me, if she manages to do that, I will immediately submit my resignation.”