Citizens shared videos on social networks of the moments in which the protesters entered the Municipal Palace and started the fire.
Apatzingán is considered one of the most violent municipalities in Michoacán. It is located very close to Aguililla, fiefdom of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
This same Monday, university students marched in Morelia and Uruapan to demand security and justice in the Manzo case.
President Claudia Sheinbaum promised justice for the cold-blooded murder of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, a staunch critic of organized crime who had demanded the government provide greater protection for himself and other citizens.
Manzo, 40, was shot and killed Saturday while attending a candle festival at a Day of the Dead celebration in downtown Uruapan.
(Photo: Cuartoscuro)
Two suspects were arrested and a third was killed, the Ministry of Public Security reported on Saturday.
Manzo, one of the few elected independent politicians in Mexico, was mayor of Uruapan since September of last year.
Since taking office, Manzo, who was frequently seen wearing a bulletproof vest, had called on the federal government to step up the fight against organized crime, while expressing fear for his own safety.
Uruapan is known as the Mexican avocado capital because it is located in the heart of the avocado-producing region in Michoacán.
The industry has experienced rapid growth due to increasing demand in the United States, which has made avocado production a target for organized crime groups.
The mayor had asked Sheinbaum for stronger public safety measures and had stated that Uruapan’s avocado industry gave it importance in the face of the upcoming review of Mexico’s trade agreement with the United States and Canada.
Manzo had also expressed that greater determination was required on the part of the Secretary of Security, Omar Harfuch. “Secretary Omar Harfuch, serve us,” Manzo said in that interview.
In a press conference on Sunday, Harfuch stated that Manzo had federal protection since December 2024, which was reinforced in May.
Protection included 14 National Guard troops charged with perimeter security, while local police provided immediate security.
-With information from Reuters.
