In Seven Years, 64 Officials and Politicians Have Been Murdered in Guanajuato

The most recent victim was Ignacio Alejandro Roaro Aguilar, secretary of the Apaseo el Alto city council.

Since 2018, there have been 64 homicides against public officials, politicians, and even candidates in Guanajuato.

In the last week, three direct attacks were reported in the municipalities of Santiago Maravatío, Salamanca, and Apaseo el Alto.

The municipalities of Santiago Maravatío and Apaseo el Alto are governed by the National Action Party (PAN), and Salamanca by Morena (Morena); although these events have also affected other political parties in the state, such as the PRI, PRD, Green Party, and Citizen Movement.

Celaya, the municipality with the most homicides

According to the most recent report by Data Cívica, an organization dedicated to analyzing information on security and human rights, between January 1, 2018, and June 28, 2025, 61 murders of people linked to politics and public office have been documented in Guanajuato; adding the three most recent cases, the figure rises to 64.

Nationwide, this represents 9.52 percent of the total. The count includes candidates, current officials, elected officials, and members of political parties. At least 22 of the state’s 46 municipalities have recorded a murder of political figures in the last seven years.

According to Data Cívica’s “Voting Between Bullets” registry, the municipalities with the highest number of these crimes include:

Celaya, with eight murders.

Villagrán and Pénjamo, with five cases each.

Abasolo, Santiago Maravatío, Apaseo el Grande, and León have four murders, respectively.

Among the municipalities with the lowest number of incidents, but which have also reported political crimes, are:

Comonfort

Cortázar

Huanímaro

Irapuato

Jerécuaro

Moroleón

Salamanca

Salvatierra

San Luis de la Paz

Juventino Rosas

Silao

Tarimoro

Ignacio Alejandro Roaro, murdered in a basketball game

The most recent victim was Ignacio Alejandro Roaro Aguilar, secretary of the Apaseo el Alto city council, who was murdered on Saturday, July 5.

The attack occurred while he was participating in a basketball game at the municipality’s Ecological Park. According to local authorities, two armed men arrived on a motorcycle and shot him at close range.

This crime follows two others reported in recent days. On Monday, June 30, Felipe Flores López, a city council employee and alternate councilor for the municipality of Santiago Maravatío, as well as an LGBT rights activist, was murdered as he left his home.

That same evening, in the community of Cárdenas, Salamanca, an armed attack killed Arturo “N,” an inspector with the Municipal Government’s Oversight and Control Department.

Among the most shocking events that have marked political violence in Guanajuato in recent years is the murder of Gisela Gaytán Gutiérrez, Morena’s candidate for mayor of Celaya. She was executed on April 1, 2024, just hours after launching her campaign, while greeting neighbors amid cheers and shouts of support.

Meanwhile, in September, three attacks claimed the lives of two close associates, who were expected to be officials for Gilberto Zárate’s 2024-2027 administration in Comonfort; even his son survived a direct attack, which left his driver dead.

Another case was that of Alma Rosa Barragán Santiago, a Citizen Movement candidate in Moroleón, who was shot and killed on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, during a campaign event.

That same year, PAN member José Antonio Cano Acosta, Juventino Rosas’ mayoral pre-candidate, was murdered while jogging.

In December 2019, former mayor of Cortázar, Hugo Estefanía Monroy, and former PRD leader, was assassinated. His wife was injured.

José Remedios Sánchez Aguirre, Morena’s candidate for municipal president of Apaseo el Alto, was executed on May 11, 2018, after a meeting with retired teachers at an ecological park.

Threats ruled out in Ignacio Alejandro case.

The body of Ignacio Alejandro Roaro Aguilar was held this Sunday. His brother stated that he had not received any threats, so the attack took them by surprise.

“This is what hurts us, because he had never told us anything… everyone loved him,” Gilberto Roaro Aguilar said, his voice breaking.

“They loved him very much because he was honest and upright and worked properly,” he stated.

He also recalled that, outside of work, his brother had a great passion for basketball, a sport he had played for several years and never left aside.

“He was fascinated by basketball. Every Saturday, he wouldn’t miss a game for anything; he was a die-hard fan,” he said.

Regarding the investigations, he stated that, so far, they have not received official information about the arrest of anyone related to the case, although they have learned unofficially that there may be progress.

“We haven’t heard anything about that,” he added.

PAN Mayor Guadalupe Monserrat Mendoza Cano attended the wake of her former city secretary. Accompanied by the Secretary of Government, Jorge Jiménez Lona, she was asked if she would reinforce her security or that of other officials, to which she simply responded: “whatever is necessary,” without giving further details.

Source: Milenio