On Monday, October 6, 2025, the municipality of Yanga, Veracruz was shook by a tragic event: Jessica Luna Aguilera, a former mayoral candidate for the Labor Party (PT), was assassinated while driving to pick up her daughter from school.
This crime is not just another headline. It is a stark reminder of how violence is eroding the space for democratic participation in many parts of Mexico—particularly at the local level.
According to multiple English-language reports, Luna Aguilera was traveling in her vehicle in the community of Potrero Nuevo, in the municipality of Atoyac, when armed individuals intercepted her van and opened fire.
Her vehicle lost control and crashed into a wall near a school, and she succumbed to her injuries at the scene. At the time, she was en route to pick up her daughter, which intensifies the tragedy of the case.
The assailants fled without being apprehended, and authorities quickly cordoned off the area. The state prosecutor’s office in Veracruz has opened an investigation into the crime.
Hellbound and Down 