The attackers opened fire after Manso opened a candle festival during the celebrations. Paramedics tried to save his life by performing CPR, but were unsuccessful.
One of the attackers was killed on the spot, two more were detained.
The Ministry of Security reported that Manso had been under security since December 2024, and it was strengthened in May. But the attackers took advantage of the “vulnerability of a public event” to open fire, the Mexican agency added.
Uruapan has a population of just over 350 thousand inhabitants. The state where the municipality is located produces avocados, most of which are exported to the United States. This makes Uruapan and neighboring towns a target for criminals accustomed to demanding money from producers – a practice that is common in much of the agricultural sector, El Pais emphasized.
Manso asked for help in containing the cartels and even said that he did not want to be “just another one of the murdered victims,” the media noted.
Manso became the sixth mayor killed in 2025 in Mexico, and the third in the state of Michoacan. In recent weeks, an increase in the number of various criminal groups has been recorded in this region.
Thus, last week a lemon grower was killed in one of the regions of Michoacan, who condemned extortion, El Pais wrote.
