Uruapan's mayor, Carlos Manzo, was assassinated on November 1, 2025, during the Festival of Candles, prompting criticism of the federal government for ignoring his pleas for help against violence. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the Michoacán Plan for Peace and Justice, but survivors and allies call it overdue. Manzo's widow, Grecia Quiroz, is positioned as his successor in the mayoralty.
Carlos Manzo, independent mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, was shot on the night of November 1, 2025, in the main square during the Festival of Candles, part of Day of the Dead celebrations. He suffered a thorax wound and died at Fray Juan de San Miguel Hospital. The alleged attacker, Osvaldo Gutiérrez Vázquez, alias 'El Cuate', aged 17 to 19 and linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was killed at the scene; two others were detained.
Víctor Hugo de la Cruz, public works councilor and wounded survivor of the attack, recounted the moment: “I turned because I thought it was another firework, however, I receive the impact and hear more detonations, I fall to the ground”. De la Cruz, a close friend of Manzo for 10 years, criticized the federal government for ignoring the mayor's security alerts since March. “This type of plans should have been taken before; however, it was not listened to in time. We are still waiting for it in Uruapan”, he stated in an interview with Adela Micha. He added that Sheinbaum visited Uruapan to seek votes in the elections but did not return despite local support.
In response, President Claudia Sheinbaum presented the Michoacán Plan for Peace and Justice on November 4, an integral strategy with three axes: security and justice (coordination with National Guard, specialized prosecutor's office for high-impact crimes, biweekly security tables, and alert system for mayors); economic development with justice (dignified wages for agricultural workers, rural infrastructure investment, and welfare hubs); and education and culture for peace (peace schools, community centers, transportation scholarships, and annual 'Voces de Michoacán' festival). The federal cabinet will visit municipalities to gather proposals and strengthen local coordination.
Grecia Quiroz, Manzo's wife and honorary president of the municipal DIF, met with Sheinbaum at the National Palace on November 4, escorted by the National Guard. The Hat Movement, founded by Manzo, nominated her as an independent candidate for the mayoralty. Michoacán's Congress received the proposal to appoint her substitute mayor, presented by deputy Carlos Alejandro Bautista Tafolla, who stated: “There is no better person to lead this presidency. Grecia is a very strong woman”. Meanwhile, councilor Hilda Flor del Campo Maldonado holds the position provisionally. Quiroz vowed to continue the legacy: “Although they silenced his voice, they will not silence this fight”.
Internationally, the White House condemned political violence. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said: “We condemn all political violence anywhere and in all its forms”, noting Trump respects Sheinbaum but urges more action against cartels. In Mexico, PRI deputies protested with 'bloodied' hats in the Chamber, demanding justice, while PAN lit candles. Ricardo Monreal of Morena assured: “There will be no impunity”. Protests in Michoacán have included vandalism, which Quiroz and Sheinbaum urged to avoid.
