Reports indicate that on November 8, Valeria Palma, the daughter of congresswoman Carmen Medel Palma (MORENA) was killed in a gym located in the vicinity of the Municipal Palace in Ciudad Mendoza, Veracruz. According to reports, the murderer, who went by the name “Richi,” was found dead later in a vehicle, and authorities believe Valeria Palma was mistaken by another targeted women whose pictures were found in the same vehicle. In Mexico City, six individuals were killed in three different episodes during the weekend. The first two occurred in the borough of Cuauhtémoc. On November 9, an unknown individual gunned down Francisco Piceno Camacho, former mayor of Penjamillo, Michoacán, while he was standing outside a hospital. On November 10, two armed men attacked customers at an eating venue in the same borough, killing one. The third incident occurred in the early morning of November 11 in the borough of Iztapalapa, when armed men attacked a bar, killing four.
Reported evidence seems to suggest that the murder of Valeria Palma is unrelated to the political activities of her mother, congresswoman Carmen Medel Palma. As mentioned, the victim was mistaken with another woman linked to organized crime. The murder comes amid the backdrop of increasing rivalry between two local bands respectively related to Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CNJG) and Los Zetas. With regards to the incidents in Mexico City, it is unclear whether Piceno Camacho was targeted due to his political past. However, the incidents highlight a recent uptick in violence, particularly in the boroughs of Cuauhtémoc, Venustiano Carranza and Iztapalapa. Areas with housing units and traditional blocks with canteens or bars are reportedly more likely to see homicides. While local police are using a quadrant system to divide terrain in order to be present in most of the city, the strategy is seemingly proving inefficient as it fails to account for critical points of homicidal violence. The incidents in Veracruz and Mexico City continue to underscore the risks posed by surging violence in the country.