A Mexican congressman who was a member of the ruling coalition was shot dead Monday in the coastal state of Veracruz, officials said, marking another politician targeted by violence in the country.
“Benito Aguas Atlahua died as a result of injuries caused by an attack with a firearm,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
The body of a man identified as Agustin Linares was also found at the scene of the attack in the municipality of Zongolica, the statement added. Authorities have not said how Linares, who was an engineer, died.
The authorities did not provide further information on the circumstances or the number of attackers.
Aguas Atlahua was taken to the hospital in serious condition after the shooting, according to an earlier report.
The lawmaker was a member of the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM), which is part of the ruling coalition that controls Congress, alongside the Labor Party and President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena.
His party, the PVEM, condemned the attack in a statement published on social networks.
“We urge the authorities to take appropriate measures to ensure that this heinous act does not go unpunished. Security and respect must be fundamental pillars of Mexican policy,” it reads.
A tribute posted on Aguas Atlahua’s Facebook page said he was “distinguished for his hard work and tireless dedication to improving the lives of citizens.”
“His legacy of service and love of his country will remain in the hearts of all who knew him and worked alongside him,” the statement said.
Criminal gangs have fought for territory in Veracruz state because of its position along a transit route of drugs and undocumented migrants heading to the United States.
Mexico has suffered more than 450,000 killings since 2006, when the government called in military troops to fight cartels.
Politicians, particularly at the local level, to be the victim of a bloodbath linked to corruption and the multi-billion dollar drug trade.
In October, a mayor was murdered and beheaded in the southern state of Guerrero. The following month, a former prosecutor and local police official was arrested in connection with this appalling murder.
In June, a the mayor was killed in southern Mexico, less than a week after the assassination of another politician in the same region plagued by cartel violence. The murder of Acacio Flores occurred a few days after the assassination of Salvador Villalba Floresanother mayor of the state of Guerrero elected in the June 2 elections.
Also in June, a local municipal councilor was shot dead as she left her home in Guerrero. His killing came days after the mayor of a western Mexican town and his bodyguard were killed. killed outside a gymjust hours after Sheinbaum won the presidency.
At least 24 politicians have been assassinated during a particularly violent electoral process that preceded the June elections, which the main ruling party won by a landslide, according to official figures.
