Escalating Violence in Veracruz and Durango Elections
The recent elections in Veracruz and Durango were marked by a surge in political violence linked to criminal organizations, with Veracruz being the most affected state.
Veracruz Experiences Heightened Violence
According to data from the Votar entre balas observatory, Veracruz recorded 32 violent incidents during the electoral process, with 17 targeting precandidates or candidates, accounting for 53.1% of the total.
On election day, June 1st, Durango broke its relative calm with an armed attack against the mayoral candidate in Canatlán and her team, as reported. This incident, attributed to political motives, became the second violent event related to elections in Durango since 2018.
In Veracruz, violence did not cease on election day. In Xico, armed men attacked Carolina Galván’s campaign headquarters, a Movimiento Ciudadano aspirant. In another incident, Estela Sánchez, the campaign coordinator for the same party, was shot, presumed to be an attack by criminal organizations.
The special report from Votar entre balas states that May 2025 was the most violent month for Veracruz politics since 2018, with 14 attacks recorded. Data Cívica reported that although the number of homicides of aspirants decreased by one case—four in 2021, three in 2025—the total number of aggressions and threats increased. Furthermore, at least 10 people were forced to resign from their candidacies due to direct threats.
Hotspots of Violence in Veracruz
The report highlights that aggressions are concentrated in three regions of the state: the north, including municipalities like Poza Rica de Hidalgo (12 attacks), Tecolutla (seven), and Pánuco (six); the center, with Córdoba (11), Yanga (seven), and Ixtaczoquitlán (six); and the south, with Acayucan (12), Texistepec (nine), and Isla (six).
An hypothesis presented by the NGO suggests that Durango’s lower violence incidence could be due to the state being under the predominant control of a single criminal group. According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment 2025, only the Sinaloa Cartel has a high presence in Durango, unlike Veracruz, where at least four cartels have influence: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Gulf Cartel with high presence, and the Sinaloa and Northeast Cartels with moderate influence.
Key Questions and Answers
- What was the nature of violence during the Veracruz and Durango elections? The elections were marked by a surge in political violence linked to criminal organizations, with Veracruz being the most affected state.
- How many violent incidents occurred in Veracruz? There were 32 violent incidents during the electoral process in Veracruz.
- What was the main target of these violent incidents? Seventeen of the 32 violent incidents targeted precandidates or candidates in Veracruz, accounting for 53.1% of the total.
- What happened on election day in Durango? An armed attack against the mayoral candidate in Canatlán and her team occurred, attributed to political motives.
- Why is there a difference in violence levels between Veracruz and Durango? The hypothesis suggests that Durango’s lower violence incidence could be due to the state being under the predominant control of a single criminal group, while Veracruz has influence from at least four cartels.
