Former mayor shot dead in southern Mexico

Former mayor shot dead in southern Mexico

2011-03-11 22:58:28 GMT+7 (ICT)

QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- A former mayor on Thursday was shot dead in a hotel of his property in Quintana Roo state, southern Mexico, El Universal newspaper reported on Friday.

Mario Eduardo Chuc Aguilar, former mayor of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, was killed by armed gunmen at about 4:50 p.m. local time. He was in side one of his hotels and was accompanied by his wife, who was unharmed.

Chuc relatives on Friday said that the former mayor received threats in the past days. However, he refused to denounce it to authorities as he did not want to have bodyguards assigned to him.

State Police forces as well as local law enforcement agents were rushed to the scene. In an attempt to detain the gunmen, five roads were blocked. Police closed the five main entry and exit points to Carrillo Puerto.

Chuc was the mayor of Felipe Carrillo Puerto municipality from 1996 until 1999. He worked under former governor Mario Villanueva Madrid. Current mayor, Valfre Cetz Cen, said that an investigation was ongoing.

Also on Thursday, it was announced that a mayor candidate was kidnapped in the southwestern state of Oaxaca. Celestino Pérez Cardosa was abducted on Monday in San Juan Lalana municipality.

According to his wife, Rosa, the candidate was abducted from his own residence by a group of alleged supporters of the PRI party, the former long-time ruling party. Local residents have threaten to begin riots if Pérez Cardosa is not freed.

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