The Borneo Post

Gangland murder spree jolts Mexico ahead of elections

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MEXICO CITY: A 24-hour wave of gang violence across Mexico has left more than 20 people dead, some found with their bodies dismembere­d and stuffed in plastic bags, local officials said.

The gruesome violence cast a shadow on elections in four states, including a tight governor’s race in Mexico’s most populous state seen as a bellwether for next year’s presidenti­al vote.

In the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, where voters will choose local officials, the bodies of five men and one women were found cut into pieces, thrown in plastic bags and left on a street in the town of Omealca, about 200 miles east of Mexico City, a source in the state prospector’s office said.

In northern Nuevo Leon state, another four dismembere­d bodies were found, while next door in Chihuahua state a masked man opened fire in a bar in the town of Cuauhtemoc killing six people, according to local officials.

Meanwhile, in southern Guerrero state, where various gangs fight over lucrative poppy plantation­s used to produce heroin, at least five people were killed in Chilpancin­go, the state capital.

Some of the remains were discovered in the city center while others were found scattered on the major highway that connects Mexico City with the beach resort city of Acapulco, according to local media reports. — Reuters

 ??  ?? Supporters of Gomez shout during the closing campaign rally in Chicoloapa­n de Juárez, Mexico. — Reuters photo
Supporters of Gomez shout during the closing campaign rally in Chicoloapa­n de Juárez, Mexico. — Reuters photo

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