Lawmaker who was member of ruling coalition murdered in Mexico; another man found dead at crime scene
A Mexican congressman who was a member of the ruling coalition was shot dead in coastal Veracruz state on Monday, officials said, marking yet another politician being targeted by violence in the country.
"Benito Aguas Atlahua has passed away as a result of wounds caused by an aggression with a firearm," the state prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The body of a man identified as Agustin Linares was also found at the scene of the attack in Zongolica municipality, the statement added. Authorities did not say how Linares, who was an engineer, died.
Authorities have not provided further information as to the circumstances or number of attackers.
Aguas Atlahua had been taken to hospital in serious condition after the shooting, according to an earlier report.
The legislator was a member of the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM), part of the ruling coalition that controls congress, along with the Labor Party and President Claudia Sheinbaum's Morena.
His PVEM party condemned the attack in a statement on social media.
"We urge the authorities to take appropriate action to ensure that this heinous act does not go unpunished. Security and respect must be fundamental pillars in Mexican politics," it said.
A tribute posted to Aguas Atlahua's Facebook page said he was "distinguished for his hard work and tireless dedication to improving the lives of citizens."
"His legacy of service and his love of his country will remain in the hearts of all who knew him and worked alongside him," the statement said.
Criminal gangs have fought over territory in Veracruz state due to its position along a transit route for drugs and undocumented migrants heading to the United States.
Mexico has suffered more than 450,000 killings since 2006, when the government called in army troops to fight the cartels.
Politicians, particularly at the local level, frequently fall victim to bloodshed connected to corruption and the multibillion-dollar drugs trade.
In October, a mayor was murdered and decapitated in the southern state of Guerrero. The next month, a former prosecutor and local police official was arrested in connection with the grisly killing.
In June, a mayor was killed in southern Mexico, less than a week after another politician was assassinated in the same region plagued by cartel violence. The murder of Acacio Flores came days after the killing of Salvador Villalba Flores, another mayor from Guerrero state elected in June 2 polls.
Also in June, a local councilwoman was gunned down as she was leaving her home in Guerrero. Her murder came a few days after the mayor of a town in western Mexico and her bodyguard were killed outside of a gym, just hours after Sheinbaum won the presidency.
At least 24 politicians were murdered during a particularly violent electoral process leading up to the June election that the key ruling party figure won by a landslide, according to official figures.
