Hipólito Mora, one of the original leaders of Mexico’s “self-defence” movement, has been murdered in an ambush. His death marks another disturbing episode in the country’s relentless crime conflict.
Guillermo Valencia, a politician from the violence-ridden state of Michoacán, where Mora played a pivotal role in launching a rural uprising against narco-traffickers a decade ago, broke the news on Twitter.
‘Atentado asesinaron a mi amigo’
In his tweet, Valencia wrote that his friend, Hipólito Mora, had been murdered and that his bulletproof truck was set ablaze and all his bodyguards were killed.
Me acaban de confirmar que en un atentado asesinaron a mi amigo #HipolitoMora, prendieron fuego a su camioneta blindada y asesinaron a todos sus escoltas, en este #Michoacán vivimos y las autoridades se empeñaron en negar la situación , ¿ahora que dirán?
— Guillermo Valencia (@MemoValenciaR) June 29, 2023
Disturbing video footage circulated on social media, shows the burned wreckage of Mora’s vehicle in La Ruana, the rural community he called home.
Tributes pour in
Mora’s murder prompted an outpouring of tributes, highlighting his status as a prominent figure in the self-defence movement. Valencia described him as an iconic leader deserving of recognition in the annals of history, expressing his dismay at the manner in which Mora lost his life.
Former President Felipe Calderón, who was behind Mexico’s devastating “war on drugs” after assuming power in 2006, condemned the “cowardly murder” and acknowledged Mora’s repeated acts of bravery in defending his community against organised crime.
Silvano Aureoles, the former governor of Michoacán, denounced the “heinous murder,” describing the Tierra Caliente region, where the crime occurred, as a war zone.
“Hipólito Mora was riddled with bullets and had his body burned,” he wrote.
Un atroz asesinato vuelve a sacudir a Michoacán: Hipólito Mora fue acribillado y su cuerpo calcinado, en La Ruana.
La Tierra Caliente es una zona de guerra, como resultado de las políticas erráticas del Gobierno federal y el contubernio de las autoridades locales con los grupos…
— Silvano Aureoles (@Silvano_A) June 29, 2023
Óscar Balderas, an expert on organised crime and security, paid tribute to Mora, hailing him as “an extraordinary man, a brave man who plotted a course for the self-defence movement and the armed civilian uprising against Mexico’s cartels.”
Balderas noted that Mora lived with the knowledge that his enemies would eventually kill him.
“He knew he wouldn’t die of old age. He knew his enemies would kill him. He knew it and he lived with the knowledge that he would soon suffer a fatal attack and, regrettably, that came true.”
“He never got to see his dream of a pacified Michoacán and I believe that this, after the murder of his son, would be his greatest cause of grief,” he added.
Mexico’s self-defence movement
As per The Guardian, the self-defence movement in Mexico emerged in 2013. It was spearheaded by charismatic leaders such as Mora and José Manuel Mireles Valverde, a former doctor turned paramilitary figure. They urged civilians to take up arms against the brutal narco cartels that were seizing control over vast areas of the country.
Initially, these groups were celebrated by many Mexicans as noble saviours. However, as time passed, some were accused of human rights abuses or became entangled with the cartels themselves, engaging in criminal activities.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
