Mexican Mayor Sacrificed Herself to Save Family

Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

Juanita Ocampo, the mother of the mayor of Temixco, recounted how at least seven armed and masked individuals broke into their house on Saturday morning in search of her daughter and murdered her before her eyes.  She said Gisela never received any protection from the authorities.

Juanita Ocampo, the mother of the mayor of Temixco, recounted how at least seven armed and masked individuals broke into their house on Saturday morning in search of her daughter, who was pulled from her room and murdered in the living room before her eyes. 

“I told them [the masked people] that if they wanted to kill me, to kill me first.  But she said: ‘I am Gisela [Mota]’.  Then they took her because she was very valuable, very valuable, and that’s why they took her.  They took her from her room and killed her in the living room,” said Mrs. Juanita during a tribute that took place on Monday to the council in the Congress of Morelos.

“In the family were my grandchildren, my granddaughter, who had just given birth the night before, the little boy, and we were all attacked in such a way,” she added.

 She revealed that in addition to killing Gisela Mota, the assailants beat the rest of the family.

She accused that her daughter never received protection from the authorities.

“They never put any type of security for my daughter, any, I went outside and screamed, because everyone in the house was attacked, my grandchildren, she was the one that said I am Gisela, she gave herself in order for them to release us,” she said.

Juanita Ocampo said that she asked Governor Graco Ramírez Garrido Abreu for justice for Gisela.

“I approached (the governor) at the tribute they made for her, I asked for justice for my daughter, aside for everyone, but especially for her, he said yes, that they will act,” she said.

A clandestine grave with five bodies was found Monday by Morelos authorities derived from the investigations of the murder of the mayor of Temixco, Gisela Mota Ocampo.

The finding occurred at the site Las Torres in the community of Alpuyeca, in the municipality of Xochitepec, Morelos.

Unofficial information published in the local press reports that one of the bodies belongs to a ministerial police of Guerrero who is reported as missing.

On Saturday morning, an armed commando assassinated PRD Mayor Gisela Mota Ocampo inside her home.  The assailants were traveling in a truck and three of them were detained hours after committing the crime.

On Monday, the president of the PRD party, Agustín Basave Benítez, accused the failed strategy in regards to fighting crime in part by the federal government has led to the vulnerability of mayors throughout the country.

In an interview, the leader of Sol Azteca lamented the assassination of the mayor of Temixco, Gisela Mota Ocampo, and revealed that so far in the administration of Enrique Peña Nieto, there have been over 40 mayors that have been assassinated.

“Mayors are in absolutely vulnerable, and how are those mayors going to confront the monster of organized crime, if they have no weapons.  So far in this administration, there have been over 40 mayors assassinated,” said Basave.

The PRD leader said that after the assassination of the mayor, there is a substantive issue that not only summarized what happened in Morelos, but what is happening across the country.

He said that the issue of insecurity and violence has to be faced from the federal government and proposed a change of strategy in combat.

It should be the Ministry of Finance that should fight against money laundering and undermine the finances of criminals, not just bring them down with bullets,” said Agustín Basave.

Source:  Sin Embargo