Mexico mayor is shot dead in her home just one day after taking office

The mayor of a Mexican city has been shot dead less than a day after taking office. Gisela Mota was killed when gunmen opened fire at her house in the city of Temixco. Two attackers were killed and three others detained following a car chase in which they fired on police and soldiers pursuing them, security officials said. A 9-millimeter gun, an Uzi and ski masks were found in the gunmen’s SUV.

(Mota was) a strong and brave woman who on taking office as mayor, declared that her fight against crime would be frontal and direct

Democratic Revolution Party statement

Cartels seeking to control communities and towns have often targeted local officials and mayors in Mexico. Temixco is a city of about 100,000 people neighboring Cuernavaca, a resort and industrial city which has been suffering kidnappings and extortion linked to organised crime groups. Ms Mota, who had been a federal congresswoman in her early thirties, was sworn into office on New Year’s Day. She was killed the following day. Morelos state governor Graco Ramirez vowed there “would be no impunity” in her killing and promised that state officials would not cede to what he described as a “challenge from criminals.”

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