Mayor of San José Independencia, Mexico and Husband Reported Missing

Agar Cancino Gómez, the mayor of San José Independencia, Oaxaca, Mexico, and her husband Alberto Antonio García have been reported missing since April 17, 2024. The couple was last seen leaving Loma Bonita for San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec. The Oaxaca State Attorney General's Office has initiated an investigation and implemented specialized search protocols to determine their whereabouts.

Cancino Gómez assumed the mayoral position in January 2022. Her husband García serves as the municipal treasurer and was recently designated as the Morena party's candidate for the next municipal presidency. He was also appointed as the coordinator of the Committees in Defense of the Fourth Transformation for the locality.

The mayor had previously faced threats and an assassination attempt. In August 2021, her son Hendrik de Jesús was murdered. Cancino Gómez had denounced the attacks and demanded that the then-governor Alejandro Murat Hinojosa and then-prosecutor Rubén Vasconcelos Méndez investigate and find those responsible.

The town council members of San José Independencia have officially requested the intervention of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Governor Salomón Jara Cruz to locate the mayor and her husband alive. They have also requested the involvement of the Attorney General's Office, the Mexican Army, the Oaxaca State Attorney's Office, the State Investigation Agency, and the State Police in the search efforts.

Why this matters: The disappearance of Mayor Agar Cancino Gómez and her husband Alberto Antonio García raises concerns about the safety of public officials in Mexico. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by local leaders who have been targeted with threats and violence.

Oaxaca Investigation: Authorities are pursuing several lines of inquiry in their investigation. The governor of Oaxaca and the state president of Morena have not yet issued any statements regarding the incident. On March 18, Palemón Vásquez Cajero, who was part of the slate presented by the Popular Unity Party for the municipal presidency of Santiago Jamiltepec in the Costa region of Oaxaca, was also assassinated. The disappearance of Cancino Gómez and García adds to the growing list of public officials who have faced threats or violence in Mexico in recent years.

Key Takeaways

• Mayor Agar Cancino Gómez and husband Alberto Antonio García reported missing since April 17, 2024.
• Cancino Gómez assumed mayoral position in January 2022, husband was Morena party's candidate.
• Mayor had faced threats and assassination attempt, her son was murdered in August 2021.
• Town council requests intervention of president, governor, and authorities to locate the couple.
• Incident highlights ongoing challenges faced by local leaders targeted with threats and violence in Mexico.