OREANDA-NEWS. At least 133 candidates have been murdered during presidential and congressional elections. According to a study by consulting firm Etellect, it happened because of drug cartels.
More than 70 per cent of the violence has been on the local level. And this is the result of local policy and serious problems of local government. It is probably the most bloody elections in Mexican history. For example, in the 2012 elections, there were only 9 politicians killed.
When the national army began the war with drug cartels, more than 200,000 people have been killed and 30,000 are missing and this is the results of the anti-drug campaign.
Cartels finance local elections with “dirty money” and they use violence because they compete and want to protect their investments. Most of the cases were in five states - Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Mexico State and Veracruz. They are well-known for criminal groups.
The political system of Mexico is full of corruption. And just this week, 300 police officers in Michoacan were questioned on the suspicion of their involvement in the murder of a local candidate.
This shadow campaign by organized crime, almost entirely unfettered by the nation's weak and corrupt law enforcement and judicial systems, has come amid record violence in the country, which, in turn, has been a central theme in the presidential contest.
“I would not call Mexico a democracy," said Buscaglia. "I would call Mexico a 'mafiocracy.'" He said, that Mexican political system suffers from “cancer”. As he said, many good people are scared.