Mayor of a Mexican state capital killed as country faces a spike in political violence

The mayor of one of Mexico’s state capitals was killed, the latest in a nationwide spike in political violence.

In the months leading up to Mexico’s general election in June, at least 37 candidates were killed, while many more dropped out over threats.

Experts believe growing drug cartel financing of campaigns is partly responsible for the escalation in violence.

Mexico’s new President Claudia Sheinbaum has made pacifying the country a priority after murders reached a record high under the previous government, but analysts fear the state lacks the capacity to combat increasingly powerful gangs: “It’s a jungle,” a security analyst told The Wall Street Journal. “What the criminals are saying to authorities is: We rule here.”