The Institutional Revoluntionary Party (PRI) front-running candidate for Governor for the state of Tamaulipas, Rodolfo Torre, 46, was killed when his campaign vehicle was ambushed enroute to a campaign stop. Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon was quick to lay blame on rival drug gangs and condemned the actions and warned “organized crime is a permanent threat and we should close ranks to confront it and avoid more actions like the cowardly assassination.”
Numerous gubernatorial elections will be held this weekend in Mexico with tensions high over security for candidates and voters alike. Several key mayoral posts remain vacate with potential candidates intimidated away by the drug cartels. Most recently Jose Varela a mayoral candidate for Valle Hermoso was killed. The state of Tamaulipas borders Texas and is a key battle ground between the Gulf and Zeta cartel. Neither group has claimed blame for the assassination.
Torre, was will known in state politics recently serving as its health minister. His name will remain on the ballet and voters are being urged not to stay away from the ballot box.
