Grecia Quiroz, mayor of Uruapan, recounted for the first time the attack that killed her husband, former mayor Carlos Manzo, during the Festival of Candles on November 1. In an interview, she described the panic as she fled with her young children, fearing they were targeting her too. The incident unfolded amid Day of the Dead celebrations in Plaza Morelos.
On November 1, during the traditional Festival of Candles in Uruapan, Michoacán, Carlos Manzo, then mayor, was participating in Day of the Dead activities with his family. He had spoken at the start of the event, lit candles, and walked along the barriers to greet attendees, posing for photos as was his habit. “Carlos never refused a photo with people,” recalled Grecia Quiroz, his wife and current mayor, in an interview with Joaquín López-Dóriga. “He never told his security ‘don’t let them approach.’”
Quiroz was at the site’s entrance with their two young children waiting for Manzo, who was returning animated after taking more photos. A man approached asking for a picture, and at that moment, the attacker emerged from the crowd and shot directly at the mayor around 8:00 p.m. in Plaza Morelos. In panic, Quiroz grabbed her children and ran through the crowd. “The only thing I do is grab my children and I ran through the people (...) I thought about my children’s safety, I thought at that moment they were also coming for me. The truth is I didn’t look at anyone else. My world closed in on my children,” she recounted.
For nearly an hour, she did not know her husband’s whereabouts, held back by security to protect the minors. “I had full confidence that he would get out of this situation. I knew he was very strong, that he wouldn’t give up,” she said, holding onto hope. Manzo sustained seven gunshot wounds and was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
According to the Michoacán Prosecutor’s Office and the Security Cabinet, the main attacker was Víctor Manuel ‘N’, 17, from Paracho, killed on site by security elements. He used a 9 mm Beretta pistol linked to at least two prior clashes between criminal groups. One attacker was killed and two others detained.