Candidates Shot, Kidnapped, Tied With Noose as Mexico Vote Nears

An Olympic athlete running for mayor of a quaint resort town is kidnapped and threatened if she doesn’t drop out of the race, her party says. The son of a prominent politician is held by townspeople who tie him in a noose. A candidate in northern Mexico is shot dead in broad daylight after tweeting he would fight violence.

As Mexico’s June 6 midterm elections approach, aggression against candidates and politicians has risen 64% above record levels seen during the 2018 presidential race, according to Etellekt consultancy, which tracks election-related violence. Killings alone are slightly lower than during the same period in 2018, with 79 politicians murdered, but they’re up compared to the previous midterm vote in 2015.