Integralia’s Q1 2025 report finds 104 political-violence incidents—including 50 murders—mostly at the municipal level, with hotspots in Morelos, Veracruz, Oaxaca and Puebla.
Mexican consulting firm Integralia has released its latest quarterly report, “Political Violence in Mexico,” revealing that during the first quarter of 2025 at least 50 politicians were murdered nationwide—most at the municipal level. Overall, the firm documented 104 political violence offenses from January through March, underscoring the alarming prevalence of lethal attacks against public officials and candidates.
According to the report published on May 11, intentional homicide remains the most frequent form of political violence. Among the slain were Manuel Gamboa, director of the Interior Ministry in Ixtaczoquitla, Veracruz; Carlos Ramsés Neri, a mayoral candidate also in Veracruz; and Jaime Maciel Ramírez, director of Public Security in Coyuca de Benítez, Guerrero. “These murders illustrate the vulnerability of municipal authorities and aspirants when confronting organized crime,” Integralia analysts note.
Threats against politicians ranked as the second most common offense, with 24 incidents recorded. Firearm assaults accounted for 15 cases, kidnappings for 11, and the disappearance of persons for two. An additional two cases fell under “other” categories of political intimidation. The report emphasizes that 81.7 percent of victims held, had held, or aspired to hold municipal government positions—highlighting the particular fragility of local institutions under pressure from criminal groups.
Geographically, Integralia identifies 78 municipalities affected by political violence. Cuernavaca and Huitzilac, in the state of Morelos, each reported five incidents—the highest per municipality—while the entire state logged 17, the national maximum. Other hot spots include Veracruz (13 cases), Oaxaca (12), Puebla (11), and Guerrero (9), indicating a clear concentration in states with longstanding high crime rates and organized-crime presence.
The report also examines the partisan breakdown of victims. Morena, Mexico’s ruling party, recorded the highest number of victims at 30, followed by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) with 10 and Movimiento Ciudadano with nine. Integralia attributes the prominence of Morena victims in part to the party’s dominant share of elected offices at the local level.
Delving into motivations, the consultancy argues that organized criminal networks employ threats and violence to co-opt public institutions and influence electoral outcomes. “Threats and attacks against candidates seek to influence election results,” the report states, “while kidnappings and threats against officials operate as mechanisms of territorial and financial control.”
Despite the rise in lethal violence, the report finds that judicial election candidates for the June 1 plebiscite have, so far, been spared direct attacks. As of March 31, no incidents of political violence were recorded against those contenders. Integralia speculates that criminal groups may favor less conspicuous recruitment tactics in the judicial contest, given its lower public profile and limited stakes compared to high-office elections.
Encouragingly, the total of 104 political-violence incidents during Q1 2025 represents a 59.2 percent decrease from the 255 episodes logged in the same period of 2024. Integralia attributes much of last year’s higher toll to the intensity of the 2023–2024 electoral cycle, which featured a larger number of significant public offices in contention—often drawing violent intervention.
Nevertheless, the persistence of targeted killings and assaults against municipal actors underscores the urgent need for strengthened protections and institutional resilience at the local level. Integralia concludes that addressing the root causes of political violence in Mexico will require concerted efforts to curb organized crime’s infiltration of municipal governments and ensure the safety of those who serve.
