TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) 鈥 Masked men stopped a vehicle carrying Mexico鈥檚 leading presidential candidate while she was traveling between campaign stops Sunday to ask that she address the violence in the southern state of Chiapas if she wins the June 2 election.
Former Mexico City Mayor , the governing Morena party鈥檚 candidate, remained in the front passenger seat of the vehicle listening calmly with her window down. Masked men filmed the interaction on their cell phones and one shook her hand before letting her move on.
The men, who identified themselves as local residents, said they felt 鈥減owerless鈥 because the government has not done enough to provide security. They asked her to take action as president so that their township, Motozintla, along Mexico鈥檚 southern border with Guatemala, does not become a 鈥渄isaster鈥 like other communities in the region.
During her campaign swing through Chiapas, Sheinbaum was escorted by the army and national guard.
The border area of Chiapas has been plagued by violence as the rival Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels battle for territory. Thousands of people have been displaced as the cartels work to control migrant, drug and weapons smuggling routes and forcibly recruit locals.
Later Sunday, Sheinbaum confirmed the incident had occurred, but downplayed it and said she did not believe the men were part of an organized crime group. She described the encounter as 鈥渧ery strange鈥 because she said a media outlet critical of President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 administration first published it. Sheinbaum has maintained a comfortable lead in the , according to polls.
A federal lawmaker from L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 party who was traveling with Sheinbaum had earlier described the encounter on the social platform X. Federal deputy Carmen Patricia Armend谩riz wrote that they had been stopped by masked men from one of the cartels battling for the area鈥檚 control, but she later deleted it.
