Alejandro Arcos Catalán was assassinated a week after taking office. (Government of Chilpancingo)
The mayor of Chilpancingo, Alejandro Arcos Catalán, was murdered this Sunday, October 6. This tragic event adds to an alarming series of crimes against politicians in Mexico, a country that faces a growing wave of violence associated with the fight between criminal groups and where Guerrero is one of the entities with one of the most acute crises.
The governor of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado, expressed her condemnation through a message on
Although no details about the circumstances of the murder have been revealed so far, the crime scene has begun to circulate on social media. The images show the brutality at its highest level: the politician’s decapitated body was left inside a truck, half covered, while his head was left on the awning of the vehicle.
Alejandro Arcos Catalán, mayor of Chilpancingo, was murdered on Sunday, October 6. PHOTO: DASSAEV TÉLLEZ ADAME/CUARTOSCURO.COM
Alejandro Arcos, who had just taken office on September 30, was promoted in the last elections by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which described the attack as a “cowardly crime” and demanded justice: “Enough of this violence and impunity! The people of Guerrero do not deserve to live in fear,” he wrote.
The national president of the PRI, Alejandro Moreno, regretted the situation, recalling that just three days before the secretary of the City Council, Francisco Tapia, had been murdered. “They had been in office for less than a week. Young and honest officials who sought progress for their community,” he said.
Guerrero has become one of the most violent states in Mexico, largely due to its strategic location on the Pacific coast, making it a key drug trafficking hotspot.
Born on February 12, 1981 in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Alejandro Arcos was a politician who dedicated his life to community service and social development, according to his description on the Chilpancingo Government page.
Coming from a family with strong roots in the Guerrero mountains, Arcos was the son of María del Socorro Catalán Gálvez and Leonel Arcos Luna, and was married to Sandra Elena Solís Peralta.
Alejandro Arcos Catalán in his inauguration as mayor of Chilpancingo. (Screenshot/Government of Chilpancingo)
With a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Administration, Arcos forged his career in public administration and the social sector. In 1994, he began his work as a manager of vulnerable groups. Later, his desire to make a difference led him to coordinate youth events in the Government of the State of Guerrero in 1999, where he promoted the active participation of youth in civic life. In 2005, he founded the Civil Association Muévete por Guerrero AC
In his administrative career, Arcos held various positions. He was Director of Cadastre at the Chilpancingo City Council, where he developed programs that managed to increase tax collection. His time at the Guerrerense Institute for the Comprehensive Care of Older Adults (IGATIPAM) was equally significant, as he managed support and worked on the creation of a reform to the Law on the Rights of Older Adults.
In 2024 he was a candidate for mayor of Chilpancingo promoted by the coalition formed by the PRI-PAN-PRD parties; He emerged victorious after the vote of punishment that the citizens gave to Morena after the management of Norma Otilia Hernández Martínez, exhibited for meeting with Celso Ortega, leader of the criminal group Los Ardillos.
Alejandro Arcos Catalán with his proof of majority that endorsed him as elected mayor of Chilpancingo. PHOTO: DASSAEV TÉLLEZ ADAME/CUARTOSCURO.COM
He had only taken office on Monday, September 30, in the midst of a context of growing violence and social challenges. Alejandro Arcos held the protest in the hall of the Municipal Palace, and not in a massive event in solidarity for the victims of Hurricane John.
In his first message as mayor he committed to guaranteeing peace and security in the municipality and said that he would do so hand in hand with the Mexican Army, as well as the Church, since the bishop emeritus of Chilpancingo was present at his inauguration, Salvador Rangel Mendoza, whom he asked for his help to continue with the interventions for peace.
Two days before his murder, Alejandro Arcos Catalán had expressed in a radio interview that, although the murder of his general secretary, Francisco Gonzalo Tapia Gutiérrez, which occurred on October 3, could be interpreted as a threat, he had not received direct threats.
“No, so far I have not received any call, message or any proposal, nor have I received any means of pressure either,” he said.
