National: 360 Candidates with Government Protection, AMLO

(@El Universal)

In his press conference on April 23^rd, the president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) declared that the number of candidates who have protection from the Mexican Government rose to 360, which implied an increase of 110 people on the previous election. He clarified that all presidential candidates have protection; and that they have been informed that “if they require more we will support them.”

Concern about violence against the candidates grew the previous week, when a group of hooded men intercepted the presidential candidate for MORENA, Claudia Sheinbaum, on the Motozintla highway, a municipality in Chiapas, a state on the southern border of Mexico where the cartles are in conflict.

Last week, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) declared the number of murdered candidates at 15 so far in the electoral process, which officially began last October 1^st and concludes with the elections on June 2^nd.

However, citizen organizations estimate a higher number of victims, such as the consulting firm Data Int, which has counted 106 murders potentially linked to the elections, including 30 candidates.

For more information in Spanish:

AMLO da a conocer que 360 candidatos cuentan con protección federal (El Universal, 23 de abril de 2024)

Suman 360 candidatos con protección federal en México ante el riesgo de violencia (Aristegui Noticias, 23 de abril de 2024)

Suman 360 candidatos con protección, informa AMLO; son 110 más que hace una semana (El Heraldo e México, 23 de abril de 2024)

Solicitud de protección a candidatos se dispara 44% (Milenio, 23 de abril de 2024)

For more information from SIPAZ: