Mayor Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, 40, was attending a public Festival de las Velas ceremony in Uruapan when gunmen opened fire on him in the city’s historic plaza, according to witnesses and officials. Manzo, who was known nationally for his combative, anti-cartel stance and for wearing a bulletproof vest in public, was taken to a hospital but was later pronounced dead. A city council member and a bodyguard were reported injured.
Federal security officials announced that the suspected shooter was killed at the scene, and two additional suspects were detained as part of the investigation. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch stated that Manzo had been under federal protection since late 2024 and that National Guard troops were assigned to perimeter duties. Authorities noted that ballistic evidence linked the weapon used in the attack to previous violent incidents in the region.
President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the assassination and convened an emergency security cabinet meeting, promising more decisive action.
“We reaffirm our commitment to deploy all the State’s efforts to achieve peace and security with zero impunity and full justice,” she wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Her office later announced a “Michoacán plan for peace and justice,” which includes reinforcing federal security personnel and measures aimed at disrupting organized crime.
Manzo’s killing sparked angry demonstrations across Michoacán. Thousands attended his funeral procession in Uruapan. In the state capital, Morelia, crowds chanting “enough” clashed with police, and a smaller group forced their way into the colonial-era Michoacán Government Palace, vandalizing furniture and scrawling slogans, according to reports from Reuters and CNN.
Local officials reported multiple detentions in Morelia, and authorities in Apatzingán stated that another group set fire to that city’s town hall. Officials characterized some of the violence as the work of “shock groups” and said they were detaining individuals involved in vandalism and looting.
The protests reflect long-standing anger in Michoacán over extortion, land and crop theft, and the general impunity for organized crime violence in a region central to Mexico’s avocado industry. Manzo had frequently urged federal authorities to take action, criticizing local and state officials and appealing to Security Minister Harfuch and the president for more protection. “How many mayors haven’t they killed because they opposed making these pacts with organized crime?” he asked in media interviews earlier this year.
Uruapan’s governor and federal officials have stated they will enhance intelligence and operational cooperation in Michoacán. The U.S. State Department has also offered to deepen security cooperation following the killing. Meanwhile, local leaders and residents are calling for quicker, transparent investigations and guarantees that those detained during the protests will receive due process.
Manzo’s widow, Grecia Quiroz, was later sworn in to complete her husband’s term after state lawmakers approved her appointment; she has vowed to continue his fight against criminal groups. The federal attorney general’s office indicated that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional arrests and forensic work are expected as investigators follow up on the leads.
What we’re watching: how quickly investigators can produce verified evidence linking suspects to larger criminal organizations, whether the federal “Michoacán plan” will change security on the ground, and whether the protests will calm down or escalate further—particularly around government buildings and courthouses, which demonstrators have targeted as symbols of state authority.
