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With just 10 days to Mexico's July 1 presidential elections, a new report shows violence has reached a new peak with almost 3,000 murders committed last month alone, the National Public Security System said Thursday.
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There has been a total of 2,890 murders, which translates to roughly 93 victims per day or four every hour: the highest homicide rate since 1997.
Since January, a total of 13,298 people have been murdered in Mexico: a 21 percent increase on the same period last year.
Violence has permeated every corner of the country, although the highest concentration per 100,000 residents occurred in Colima, Baja California, Guerrero, Chihuahua and Guanajuato.
In 2017, a total of 28,710 murders were committed. The National Citizen Observatory predicts the rate will grow by 5.5 percent, while femicide is likely to increase by 15 percent. So far this year 328 femicides have been reported, compared to 153 victims in 2015.
The report comes as Mexico battles the most violent electoral process in its history. According to consulting firm Etellekt, there have been 121 murders and 400 attacks against politicians since September 2017.
Out of the victims, 29 were precandidates and 16 candidates, and 80 of them belonged to opposition parties. The rest were mayors, former mayors, militants, social leaders, councilors or representatives. The same firm also recorded 351 murders against non-elected government officers.
President of the National Association of Mayors, Enrique Vargas del Villar, stressed the importance of collaboration with the Interior Ministry to create a "security protocol" to protect candidates campaigning for municipal government positions.
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