"Assassinations of Two Mexican City Mayoral Hopefuls Shake Nation"

Two mayoral candidates in the Mexican city of Maravatio were shot dead within hours of each other, highlighting the escalating violence ahead of the June 2 election, which experts warn could be the country’s most violent on record. The killings underscore the threat posed by drug cartels, with the Jalisco New Generation cartel and a local gang, the Viagras, engaged in turf wars in the western state of Michoacan. Observers fear that organized crime will increasingly intervene in local elections in 2024, as cartels seek to expand their influence beyond drugs by extorting protection payments from businesses and local governments.