Mexico is reeling from a surge in political violence ahead of upcoming elections, with dozens of politicians murdered at the hands of criminal gangs vying for influence.

At least 66 Mexican politicians have been murdered since September in a blood-stained electoral campaign, including two mayoral candidates killed on the same day last week.

Kidnapping, threats against relatives, arson attacks on homes and extortion are also among the tactics used by drug cartels and other crime gangs to entrench their power.

Security of Public Security Rosa Rodriguez said: “Criminal organisations seek to strengthen their operations through intimidation and increasing their political influence.”

She was speaking as the government pledged last week to boost security for candidates ahead of the June 6 national, regional and local polls.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said: “A mayor who wins thanks to organised or white-collar crime will be a puppet.”

For politicians in the Latin American nation, particularly at the local level, running for office can be a death sentence due to violence linked to corruption and the multibillion-dollar narcotics trade.

That was the case for Ignacio Sanchez, a candidate for mayor in the Caribbean coastal town of Puerto Morelos in Mexico’s easternmost state of Quintana Roo, who was shot dead on February 24.

“He was well regarded . . . not like those who are linked to organised crime and hang out with bodyguards. It was a political crime. It was clear that he was going to win,” a person close to Sanchez said.

The 42-year-old told his close confidants before his death that a rival had allegedly offered five million pesos ($235,000) to whoever killed him, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

‘Guarantee impunity’

Mexico has a dozen cartels and other gangs dedicated to crimes such as drug smuggling, fuel theft and people trafficking.

In addition to threats, some of the criminal organisations, such as the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels, “are trying to sponsor candidates”, said investigative journalist and author Anabel Hernandez.

The political violence is part of the wider bloodshed gripping Mexico, where more than 300,000 people have been murdered since the Felipe Calderon administration deployed the army to fight the cartels in 2006.

According to the consulting firm Etellekt, more than 150 politicians were killed during a particularly bloody campaign for the 2018 elections that brought Lopez Obrador to power.

Gerardo Rodriguez, a security expert at the Autonomous University of Puebla, said criminal gangs “seek to use violence to get mayors elected who guarantee impunity for their operations.”

Another factor is that “local political bosses use violence because their power is threatened”, Rodriguez said.