Mexican Mayor Shot Dead: Gisela Mota Slain Less Than 24 Hours After Taking Temixco Office
Gisela Mota, the newly-elected 33-year-old mayor of Temixco, in the state of Morelos, which is located about 55 miles south of Mexico City, was assassinated by perpetrators said to be suspected of being associated with organized crime early yesterday morning. The Mexican mayor was shot dead in her Temixco house when gunman burst in and began firing indiscriminately. The attack immediately prompted a response from security officials, according to Yahoo News.
Two of the gunmen were reported to have been shot dead by the security personnel. Three members of the party said to have attacked the mayor’s home were said to have been captured alive and detained by Mexican police.
He firmado y publicado acuerdo.Se declaran 3 días de luto oficial por los hechos de Temixco, se izará bandera a media asta #Morelos
— Graco Ramírez (@gracoramirez) January 3, 2016
The detained suspects were reported to have been found with a “9-millimeter gun, an Uzi, ski masks and an SUV with Mexico State license plates.”
Jesus Alberto Capella, the Morelos state security commissioner, stated that the armed party of assailants fired on both federal police and security forces from a moving vehicle.
Governor of Morelos, Graco Ramirez, attributed the attacks to organized crime and declared three days of mourning for the seemingly popular Mexican mayor.
Gisela Mota had previously served the people of Mexico as a congresswoman from 2012 to 2015, before being elected to the Temixco mayoral office in June, 2015. She was sworn in as mayor on New Year’s Day, only to be shot dead less than 24 hours later.
#BREAKING: Mexican mayor #GiselaMota assassinated at home one day after taking office (Reuters Pic) @BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/zyT0EMVpBC
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) January 3, 2016
The slain Mexican mayor was described as being “left-of-center” by the BBC. Temixco is home to close to 100,000 people and is located beside the Morelos state capital of Cuernavaca. The state of Morelos borders the drug- and crime-riddled state of Guerrero, and is said to possess problems with organized crime, as well. While Cuernavaca is the capital of the state, Temixco is home to the Public Security Commission, which is said to be responsible for directing federal, state, and local police forces.
A joint operation being conducted by Mexican federal and state law enforcement agencies named “Delta” is reported to be underway in Cuernavaca, along the border with Guerrero.
He firmado y publicado acuerdo.Se declaran 3 días de luto oficial por los hechos de Temixco, se izará bandera a media asta #Morelos
— Graco Ramírez (@gracoramirez) January 3, 2016
The attorney general for Morelos state, Javier Perez Duron, was said to have remarked that the suspects have known criminal records, but further details were not provided.
Gisela Mota’s political party, the Democratic Revolution Party, released a statement mourning the Mexican mayor shot dead, as reported by the CBC. They described Mota as “a strong and brave woman who on taking office as mayor, declared that her fight against crime would be frontal and direct.”
In 2013, the Advocacy for Human Rights in the Americas described the Mexican president’s pledge to clean up the country’s violence and crime as “still unfulfilled” and results so far as “disappointing.” Gisela Mota, the Mexican mayor shot to death, appears to be another life taken at the hands of organized crime in the country, while authorities continue to grapple with how to tackle the problem.
Peña Nieto was elected with 39 percent of the popular vote, and does not hold a majority in Mexican government, which makes implementing the platform he campaigned upon challenging. Peña Nieto is a member of the Institutional Revolution Party; his election marked the return of the party to power in Mexico after a 12-year departure.
[Photo by AP Photo/Tony Rivera]
