Southern Mexican Mayor Beheaded Days After Taking Office

Well, folks, it seems like politics just got a whole lot bloodier in Mexico. The mayor of Chilpancingo, Alexander Arcos, was brutally murdered just six days after taking office. If you thought inauguration speeches were bad, wait till you see the photos of his severed head sitting on a pickup truck circulating on WhatsApp.

Arcos was elected in a city of about 280,000 people, around 170 miles south of Mexico City. Officials confirmed the gruesome murder from the pictures, which make "The Walking Dead" look like a kids' show.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed to get to the bottom of this, stating on Monday, "We are going to fortify the intelligence investigative capabilities of the Mexican government." Let's hope they find those responsible and make an example out of them.

For those wondering, Chilpancingo is the capital of Guerrero, one of the deadliest states for politicians and journalists. Just three days before Arcos' killing, Francisco Tapia, the city's new government secretary, was shot dead. And if that's not enough, six political candidates were killed in the run-up to the June elections. It's like the Wild West down there!

Evelyn Salgado Pineda, Guerrero's governor, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to promise justice. She wrote, "His loss has saddened all of Guerrero society and fills us with indignation." Hopefully, she means it this time.

Arcos had vowed to bring peace to Chilpancingo during his inauguration, stating, "Together we'll build a Chilpancingo of peace, a Chilpancingo that will be the home our children deserve." Looks like someone didn't like the sound of that.

As the citizens of Chilpancingo gathered to mourn Arcos, tears flowed like a river during his funeral ceremony on Monday. You can read more about it here.

Stay tuned for more updates, and remember, folks, politics ain't for the faint-hearted.

Contributing: Diana Garcia for the Arizona Republic; Reuters