Tuesday, June 3, 2025
  • Business
  • Investing
  • World-news
  • Stock
No Result
View All Result
Finance Mastery News
Advertisement
  • Business
  • Investing
  • World-news
  • Stock
No Result
View All Result
Finance Mastery News
No Result
View All Result
Home World-news

‘We are living in a war’: Mexicans brace for violence ahead of judicial elections

admin by admin
May 29, 2025
in World-news
0
‘We are living in a war’: Mexicans brace for violence ahead of judicial elections
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Gadi Mokotov makes cars bulletproof. Living in Mexico City, he sees all sorts of demands for armored vehicles – from military trucks and secretive government vehicles to the Cadillacs of the capital’s high rollers and even 10-year-old Hondas.

As criminal violence ticks up across the country, the lines for his services have grown longer – and more of his customized cars are coming back for repairs with bullet pocks and shattered windows.

Despite the efforts of successive governments to combat Mexico’s deeply entrenched cartels, tens of thousands of people are killed each year in crime-related deaths, according to government figures. Recently, Mokotov says one of his private clients in Guadalajara brought their Ford pick-up truck back to his shop with over 100 bullet marks, breaking down into tears, thankful to have survived an ambush.

In years past, Mexico City was seen as a relatively peaceful oasis in the country. But even here, violence is spiking, with murders up over 150% compared to the same period last year, according to reporting by El Pais.

Some attacks appear to be designed to send a message to Mexico’s political class. Last week, two aides to the mayor of Mexico City were gunned down on their way to work, in what authorities concluded was a “direct and highly planned attack.” A few days earlier, a mayoral candidate in the state of Veracruz had been shot and killed alongside three other people during a festive campaign march.

As controversial national judicial elections approach on Sunday, some Mexicans across the country are preparing for the worst.

According to Mexican think tank Laboratorio Electoral, last year’s legislative elections were the most violent on record, with over 40 candidates assassinated and hundreds more violent incidents, including attacks and kidnappings, largely attributed to cartels aiming to sway the vote and intimidate candidates.

While the run-up to this year’s judicial vote has not been quite as bloody, a climate of fear persists. Across the country, at least four candidates have already abandoned their campaigns after receiving threats, per the international conflict research organization Crisis Group, and several judges have refused to campaign at all in areas controlled by cartels. Since 2012, at least 17 judges and six clerks have been killed in connection to their work, the group notes.

A controversial vote

One of the last acts of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2024 was to pass a constitutional reform mandating that all judges in the country be elected by direct vote – a radical shift from the system of internal appointments that had populated most of Mexico’s judiciary until then.

The vote – seen by supporters as an effort to guarantee judges’ autonomy and impartiality – has been embraced by Lopez Obrador’s successor and protege, President Claudia Sheinbaum. On Sunday, June 1, thousands of candidates will be competing for the 881 seats up for grabs.

“It doesn’t smell very good. But it’s something that I needed to do because I have to protect myself. I have two kids and I don’t want to just be another number,” he says of the vest, which he’s been wearing for two months on the campaign trail.

Priego is no stranger to the potential for violence and corruption in Mexican politics – he decided to study law when he was in his 20s, after seeing his high-ranking military father, Mexico’s then-drug czar, imprisoned on what he says were false charges.

Across the country, trust in the justice system has been broken over and over. Judges are widely perceived as among the most corrupt officials in the country, and many high-profile cases have never been concluded. In 2022, just 16 percent of criminal investigations overall were resolved, according to Human Rights Watch.

Critics argue that addressing these issues requires far more profound change – including repressing organized crime and addressing corruption at the prosecutorial level and in government – than this week’s judicial vote can address.

Both the Biden and Trump administrations in the US have warned against the judicial vote, voicing concern that making judges run for election could further expose them to political interests and to potential corruption or intimidation by organized crime groups.

Still, Priego says he’s willing to try the new system – and to face the personal risk to his own life – for a shot at a seat on the highest bench in the country.

Ending impunity, everyone agrees, is long overdue in the country – though not everyone agrees on how to get there.

In his Mexico City garage, Mokotov sees daily evidence of the crisis, including a fast-growing number of first-time clients asking for his services: women looking to add bulletproof armor to humble commuter cars.

It’s a request that leaves even him a bit disturbed, he says. “It’s not nice to see moms coming here saying ‘I need to protect my kids to go to school.’ They’re afraid for the lives of their kids.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Previous Post

He left Venezuela for the US, dreaming of a career in cosmetics. He was deported to a Salvadoran prison

Next Post

Costa Rican police say they busted crime ring trafficking Asian migrants to US

admin

admin

Next Post
Costa Rican police say they busted crime ring trafficking Asian migrants to US

Costa Rican police say they busted crime ring trafficking Asian migrants to US

    Fill Out & Get More Relevant News


    Stay ahead of the market and unlock exclusive trading insights & timely news. We value your privacy - your information is secure, and you can unsubscribe anytime. Gain an edge with hand-picked trading opportunities, stay informed with market-moving updates, and learn from expert tips & strategies.

    • Trending
    • Comments
    • Latest
    Criminals are looting millions from ATMs in Europe. Here’s why Germany is a prime target

    Criminals are looting millions from ATMs in Europe. Here’s why Germany is a prime target

    October 28, 2024
    Israeli MP behind bill to expel key UN agency accuses US of interfering with process

    Israeli MP behind bill to expel key UN agency accuses US of interfering with process

    October 28, 2024
    British nurse Lucy Letby loses bid to appeal single attempted murder conviction

    British nurse Lucy Letby loses bid to appeal single attempted murder conviction

    October 25, 2024
    North Korean troops spotted in Russian border region with Ukraine, says Kyiv

    North Korean troops spotted in Russian border region with Ukraine, says Kyiv

    October 25, 2024
    Woman accused of killing in-laws with toxic mushrooms takes stand for first time

    Woman accused of killing in-laws with toxic mushrooms takes stand for first time

    0
    Private payroll growth slowed to 122,000 in July, less than expected, ADP says

    Private payroll growth slowed to 122,000 in July, less than expected, ADP says

    0
    The 10 worst states to retire in the U.S. No. 1 isn’t California or New York

    The 10 worst states to retire in the U.S. No. 1 isn’t California or New York

    0
    Boeing taps aerospace veteran Ortberg to replace Dave Calhoun as CEO

    Boeing taps aerospace veteran Ortberg to replace Dave Calhoun as CEO

    0
    Woman accused of killing in-laws with toxic mushrooms takes stand for first time

    Woman accused of killing in-laws with toxic mushrooms takes stand for first time

    June 3, 2025
    Italy’s Mt. Etna erupts, sending huge plume of ash and rock into air

    Italy’s Mt. Etna erupts, sending huge plume of ash and rock into air

    June 3, 2025
    Russia and Ukraine hold peace talks in shadow of Kyiv’s audacious air raid

    Russia and Ukraine hold peace talks in shadow of Kyiv’s audacious air raid

    June 3, 2025
    UK to build new attack submarines and ramp up ‘war-fighting readiness’ with an eye on Russia, Starmer says

    UK to build new attack submarines and ramp up ‘war-fighting readiness’ with an eye on Russia, Starmer says

    June 3, 2025

    Recent News

    Woman accused of killing in-laws with toxic mushrooms takes stand for first time

    Woman accused of killing in-laws with toxic mushrooms takes stand for first time

    June 3, 2025
    Italy’s Mt. Etna erupts, sending huge plume of ash and rock into air

    Italy’s Mt. Etna erupts, sending huge plume of ash and rock into air

    June 3, 2025
    Russia and Ukraine hold peace talks in shadow of Kyiv’s audacious air raid

    Russia and Ukraine hold peace talks in shadow of Kyiv’s audacious air raid

    June 3, 2025
    UK to build new attack submarines and ramp up ‘war-fighting readiness’ with an eye on Russia, Starmer says

    UK to build new attack submarines and ramp up ‘war-fighting readiness’ with an eye on Russia, Starmer says

    June 3, 2025

    Disclaimer: financemasterynews.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Browse by Category

    • Business
    • Investing
    • Stock
    • World-news

    Recent News

    Woman accused of killing in-laws with toxic mushrooms takes stand for first time

    Woman accused of killing in-laws with toxic mushrooms takes stand for first time

    June 3, 2025
    Italy’s Mt. Etna erupts, sending huge plume of ash and rock into air

    Italy’s Mt. Etna erupts, sending huge plume of ash and rock into air

    June 3, 2025
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Copyright © 2025 financemasterynews.com | All Rights Reserved

    No Result
    View All Result

    Copyright © 2025 financemasterynews.com | All Rights Reserved