A former Mexican congressman was killed in a bold attack at a Starbucks café.
According to El Financiero, the 56-year-old politician, Luis Armando Cordova Diaz, was shot on May 13, 2025, at a Starbucks in the Valle Real area of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.
PRI Leader Alejandro Moreno stated that Díaz was executed in broad daylight, an act that he said highlights the extent of violence and impunity in Mexico.
The former congressman was reportedly shot several times in the head by two men on a motorcycle while he was at the café with his wife and another individual. Díaz had served as both a local and federal deputy for the PRI party, as reported by El Financiero.
Video footage has surfaced showing the aftermath of the incident.
The Spanish-language site Latin U.S. reported that Díaz was also a party secretary and a former mayoral candidate.
In a related incident, José Luis Pereira Robles, a senior member of the Teocaltiche city government in Jalisco, was shot and killed on April 28 while dining at a seafood restaurant. This took place in an area where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel operates, recently classified as a terrorist organization by the US government. The location has been plagued by cartel violence, including the kidnapping and dismemberment of police officers in February 2025.
On May 12, 2025, Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, a mayoral candidate from the Morena party, was killed in Texistepec, Veracruz. Her assassination, which occurred during a Facebook livestream of her campaign rally, resulted in the deaths of four others. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the attack and noted that her administration was coordinating with Veracruz officials on the investigation.
Mexico is grappling with a significant crisis of political violence in 2025, continuing trends from the record-breaking 2024 election cycle. The political environment is particularly hazardous at the local level, where criminal entities exert influence over government functions crucial to their operations.
The 2024 Mexican elections were the deadliest in recent history, with at least 63 political figures assassinated from June 2023 to June 2024, according to El Economista. During this period, political murders became frequent, with criminal organizations using assassination to influence election outcomes. Local candidates were primarily targeted due to their potential impact on cartel interests.
The political violence from the 2024 elections has carried into 2025. Mexico is among the most perilous countries for political figures, journalists, and human rights defenders.
The fragmentation of major cartels, especially the conflict between the CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel, has intensified in 2025. These groups have expanded beyond drug trafficking into various economic activities, increasing their desire to control local governance.
Regions like Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Guerrero remain particularly dangerous, with criminal turf wars centered on strategic locations. Political assassinations continue as a method to establish territorial control and influence over local governance.
Ongoing violence has serious implications for Mexican democracy. Many potential candidates avoid running for office due to safety concerns, while others campaign with significant security measures, including bulletproof vests and armored vehicles. This environment restricts political participation and undermines democratic processes.
Local elections are notably impacted, as municipal presidents control resources, tax revenue, and local police forces, making them attractive targets for criminal influence. Organized crime systematically targets politicians who oppose criminal interests, effectively allowing them to dictate local officials by eliminating opposition.
President Sheinbaum’s administration faces the complex security challenges inherited from her predecessor. Although the government provides security details to threatened politicians, the effectiveness of these measures remains limited. The persistence of political assassinations underscores the challenges Mexico faces in combating organized crime’s influence on its democratic institutions.
Mexico’s battle against political violence occurs amidst broader security concerns, including one of the highest rates of disappearances globally, with over 115,000 people missing as of September 2024. These issues present substantial challenges to the country’s governance and democratic integrity in 2025.
