A municipal mayor in southern Mexico was killed over the weekend after armed men forced their way into his home and opened fire, authorities said, with investigators now examining a case that had been preceded by warnings he feared for his safety.
Joel Ángel Bravo Martínez, who led the municipality of San Miguel Amatitlán in Oaxaca’s Mixtec region, was confirmed dead after the attack on Saturday. Local reporting said multiple armed individuals entered the residence and carried out the shooting before fleeing the scene.
Oaxaca’s Attorney General’s Office said it had opened an investigation into the homicide and deployed forensic and investigative personnel to the site.
“Multidisciplinary teams, made up of members of the State Investigation Agency (AEI) and personnel from the Institute of Forensic Services, were deployed to the scene to conduct technical processing, remove the body, and collect forensic evidence,” the FGEO said.
Authorities also said additional security forces were mobilized following the killing.
“Given the seriousness of the incident, a joint and immediate response was coordinated with the agencies that make up the state and federal Security Cabinet. As a result of this operational coordination, police presence was stepped up and a continuous tactical operation was launched in the area, with the aim of blocking escape routes and locating those responsible,” the state Attorney General’s Office said.
No arrests have been reported, and officials have not publicly confirmed a motive. Criminal organizations, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, are known to operate in parts of Oaxaca.
The National Action Party (PAN), which Bravo belonged to, said the 53-year-old mayor had previously raised concerns about his safety and sought protection from state authorities.
In a statement titled “Joel Bravo warned that he feared for his life; the government didn’t protect him,” the party accused officials of failing to act.
“According to the information available, [Bravo] was promised bodyguards to guarantee his safety. Those bodyguards never arrived,” the PAN said.
The party also said Bravo had previously been assaulted and briefly abducted by armed individuals during an incident on the Acatlán-Oaxaca highway, and that he formally requested assistance during a May 11 regional security meeting. It said he also raised concerns directly with Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara.
Governor Jara, in public remarks following the killing, said authorities had launched an immediate response and pledged the case would not go unpunished.
“I have instructed the State Security Cabinet to provide all necessary support to the Oaxaca State Attorney General’s Office in the investigations currently underway. From the very beginning, an interagency operation was launched in the area with the aim of locating and apprehending those responsible, as well as ensuring that this crime does not go unpunished,” he wrote.
“In Oaxaca, we will not allow violence to prevail over the law or the will of our communities,” he added.
According to reporting by El Economista, nearly 100 mayors have been killed in Mexico over the past two decades.
Joel Ángel Bravo Martínez, who led the municipality of San Miguel Amatitlán in Oaxaca’s Mixtec region, was confirmed dead after the attack on Saturday. Local reporting said multiple armed individuals entered the residence and carried out the shooting before fleeing the scene.
Oaxaca’s Attorney General’s Office said it had opened an investigation into the homicide and deployed forensic and investigative personnel to the site.
“Multidisciplinary teams, made up of members of the State Investigation Agency (AEI) and personnel from the Institute of Forensic Services, were deployed to the scene to conduct technical processing, remove the body, and collect forensic evidence,” the FGEO said.
Authorities also said additional security forces were mobilized following the killing.
“Given the seriousness of the incident, a joint and immediate response was coordinated with the agencies that make up the state and federal Security Cabinet. As a result of this operational coordination, police presence was stepped up and a continuous tactical operation was launched in the area, with the aim of blocking escape routes and locating those responsible,” the state Attorney General’s Office said.
No arrests have been reported, and officials have not publicly confirmed a motive. Criminal organizations, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, are known to operate in parts of Oaxaca.
The National Action Party (PAN), which Bravo belonged to, said the 53-year-old mayor had previously raised concerns about his safety and sought protection from state authorities.
In a statement titled “Joel Bravo warned that he feared for his life; the government didn’t protect him,” the party accused officials of failing to act.
“According to the information available, [Bravo] was promised bodyguards to guarantee his safety. Those bodyguards never arrived,” the PAN said.
The party also said Bravo had previously been assaulted and briefly abducted by armed individuals during an incident on the Acatlán-Oaxaca highway, and that he formally requested assistance during a May 11 regional security meeting. It said he also raised concerns directly with Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara.
Governor Jara, in public remarks following the killing, said authorities had launched an immediate response and pledged the case would not go unpunished.
“I have instructed the State Security Cabinet to provide all necessary support to the Oaxaca State Attorney General’s Office in the investigations currently underway. From the very beginning, an interagency operation was launched in the area with the aim of locating and apprehending those responsible, as well as ensuring that this crime does not go unpunished,” he wrote.
“In Oaxaca, we will not allow violence to prevail over the law or the will of our communities,” he added.
According to reporting by El Economista, nearly 100 mayors have been killed in Mexico over the past two decades.
