113 Politicians Have Been Killed Ahead Of Mexico's Election. There Are Still Two Weeks To Go.

A politician killed on a public bus. A candidate murdered while taking a selfie. This campaign season may be the deadliest ever.

Posted on June 13, 2018, at 11:40 a.m.
Karla Zabludovsky
BuzzFeed News Reporter

MEXICO CITY — It has been a brutal electoral season, even by Mexico’s violent standards.

At least 113 candidates, pre-candidates, and current and former politicians have been killed and 300 more have suffered some form of aggression since September, according to Etellekt, a Mexico City–based public policy consultancy. Even the government’s tally — 34, which considers only candidates — pushes this particular death toll to nearly four per month.

Astonishing as these numbers are, they only tell part of the story: There are hundreds of candidates who have backed out of their races out of fear for their safety, and many others who have curbed their campaign activities. This poses a significant challenge to Mexico’s relatively young democracy, already crippled by systemic corruption and widespread impunity.

“Violence is altering the profile of candidates,” Alejandro Hope, a security analyst, told BuzzFeed News. “Who sticks around? The reckless and those who collude [with criminals].”

More:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/karlazabludovsky/113-politicians-killed-this-election-season-in-mexico?bfsplash&utm_term=.xq0ZBazlb#.cl84r2lAE