Jessica Luna Aguilera, former PT candidate for mayor of Yanga, Veracruz, is murdered. – Gateway Hispanic

On Monday, October 6, 2025, the municipality of Yanga, Veracruz, faced a devastating incident: Jessica Luna Aguilera, a former mayoral candidate representing the Labor Party (PT), was tragically assassinated while on her way to pick up her daughter from school.

This harrowing event transcends mere headlines; it starkly illustrates the persistent violence that is undermining democratic engagement across various regions of Mexico, particularly at the local level.

Multiple reports confirm that Luna Aguilera was in her vehicle, navigating through the Potrero Nuevo community, within the larger municipality of Atoyac, when a group of armed individuals targeted her van and began shooting.

Her vehicle veered out of control and smashed into a wall close to a school, where she tragically succumbed to her injuries. This incident takes on an even darker tone as it unfolded while she was en route to collect her daughter.

The attackers fled the scene, evading immediate capture. Local authorities swiftly sealed off the area, with the state prosecutor’s office in Veracruz launching an investigation into this shocking crime.

A concerning trend in political violence

This incident is far from an isolated occurrence. In recent months, Veracruz has seen a troubling uptick in violence aimed at candidates and public officials. Earlier in the electoral cycle, Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, a candidate from the Morena party, was killed in an armed attack while campaigning.

Research into political killings in Mexico indicates that many of these murders are connected to organized crime, aiming to exert control over local governments or retaliate against state actions.

A recent study suggests that these violent acts form part of a broader strategy employed by criminal organizations to manipulate electoral outcomes, establish “rent-seeking” control over municipal offices, and disrupt government initiatives in their territories.

Lingering questions

• What were the motivations and who orchestrated this attack? Are they politically or criminally driven?
• Did Jessica’s candidacy pose a significant threat to entrenched local power structures?
• Why does the protection afforded to political figures fluctuate so widely, particularly in perilous regions?
• Can we expect the authorities to ensure transparency and accountability, or will this case, like so many others, drift into oblivion unpunished?

This tragedy must serve as more than just a fleeting news story; it should ignite a call for reform. The murder of Jessica Luna Aguilera reveals a profound institutional failure: a collective inability to safeguard those who take bold steps into public life, especially women, all the while highlighting the corrosive impact that fear exerts on democratic processes.

Merely expressing condolences is insufficient. We need urgent, transparent, and comprehensive investigations, ensuring accountability for both the perpetrators and the masterminds behind such violence, along with necessary policy reforms designed to protect political engagement in Mexico’s most vulnerable areas.

For the Hispanic community—often at the forefront of the promise of democracy—silence is not an option. We must honor the memory of victims like Jessica, require justice, and affirm that the right to civic engagement should never equate to a death sentence. Democracy flourishes when its citizens feel secure to express themselves, seek office, and vote.

About The Author