Mexico mayor killed in town hall months after surviving assassination attempt
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- Valentin Lavin, the mayor of Temoac in Morelos, Mexico, was shot dead inside the town hall, despite having survived a previous assassination attempt in January.
- Temoac is located in a region with active drug cartels, and attacks on local officials are common as criminal gangs vie for control.
- Since 2006, nearly 100 mayors have been murdered in Mexico due to drug-related violence, with 14 killed since the current government took office in October 2024.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration claims homicides have dropped by nearly half since September 2024, attributing this to new security policies.
- Mexico has experienced escalating violence since the 2006 anti-cartel offensive, resulting in nearly 500,000 deaths and 130,000 disappearances, according to government data.
