The footage first showed Cabrera smiling, hugging and shaking hands with enthused supporters. Suddenly a handgun appeared in the frame and several shots rang out as bystanders screamed in terror. The candidate was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cabrera was reportedly preparing to address around 300 supporters at the rally, per local outlet Eltiempo. He was a member of an opposition coalition backing center-right presidential candidate Xochitl Galves, who is running against President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Authorities have not yet found the killer.
Governor Evelyn Salgado called the assassination "cowardly" and requested law enforcement and officials "apply the full weight of the law" to those involved, in a statement posted to X.
“I strongly condemn the unfortunate events in which the candidate for the municipal presidency of Coyuca de Benítez for the PRI, PAN and PRD coalition, Alfredo Cabrera Barrientos, lost his life,” she said. "To clarify this cowardly crime and guarantee no impunity, I have asked the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Guerrero to carry out the pertinent investigations to apply the full weight of the law to him or those responsible for this crime."
This assassination marks the 36th slaying of a candidate during Mexico's 2024 election cycle, with most of the candidates running for city mayor or town councils.
