Outrage in Michoacán: Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo Fatally Shot at Day of the Dead Event — Thousands Protest

Outrage in Michoacán After Mayor Is Killed During Day of the Dead Celebration

Nov. 3 (UPI) — Thousands of people took to the streets in Uruapan, Morelia and other Michoacán municipalities after Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan, was fatally shot while presiding over a public Day of the Dead event in downtown Uruapan.

The attack occurred during peak hours and immediately sparked local and national outrage over perceived impunity. Protesters accused the ruling Morena party of failing to protect citizens and charged authorities with "surrendering the state to organized crime." Hundreds dressed in black marched in Uruapan to accompany the mayor's funeral procession, shouting slogans such as "Justice! Justice! Out with Morena!"

In the state capital, Morelia, demonstrators forced entry into the Michoacán Government Palace, damaged furniture and spray-painted demands for a more decisive response to the wave of political violence affecting the state.

Witnesses said an armed man walked onto the stage where Manzo was inaugurating the Festival of Candles and shot him at close range. Authorities reported that one attacker was killed at the scene and two others were detained. Federal officials have attributed the killing to disputes among organized crime groups.

Manzo had publicly acknowledged receiving threats and told reporters his vehicle was not armored. In an earlier interview with El País, he said he repeatedly requested federal assistance to bolster his security and to obtain armored vehicles, but those requests were not answered. He had said, "I don't want to be another name on the list of the executed," and insisted he had no ties to criminal groups; he also said he livestreamed patrols and raids to deter attackers.

"I don't want to be another name on the list of the executed," — Carlos Manzo.

President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the killing and vowed there would be "no impunity," noting that the mayor had federal protection and pledging to strengthen security operations in Michoacán. Some protesters called for the president's resignation, citing perceived failures to protect local officials.

The killing makes Manzo the seventh mayor murdered in Michoacán since Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla took office in 2021. Since 2021, five other municipal leaders have been attacked and one remains missing — a pattern that has intensified public frustration and distrust in state security efforts.

Economic and Security Context

Uruapan sits at the heart of Michoacán's lucrative avocado industry — often called "green gold" — with roughly 40,000 acres of avocado cultivation within the municipality. Michoacán produces more than 2 million tons of avocados on about 450,000 acres, supplies much of Mexico's domestic market and is the only Mexican state authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to export avocados to the United States.

The avocado sector supports roughly 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $3.5 billion in annual exports. Michoacán also led national lemon production in early 2024, harvesting about 398,000 tons in the first half of the year. That economic importance helps explain protesters' demands for greater security in orchards, packing plants and transport corridors, an end to extortion, and guarantees that violence will not disrupt harvests, exports or binational inspection procedures.

Local residents and industry stakeholders warn that continued violence risks disrupting supply chains and the livelihoods of thousands of agricultural workers. The state reported more than 860 homicides this year in the region surrounding Uruapan, underscoring the depth of the security crisis.

Outlook: Authorities say they are investigating the attack and pursuing the detained suspects. The killing has amplified calls for a stronger federal response to organized crime, protective measures for municipal officials and greater safeguards for Michoacán's vital agricultural economy.