Two candidates for mayor of a Mexican city are shot dead within hours of each other

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two candidates for mayor in the Mexican city of Maravatio have been gunned down within hours of each other, leading to concerns that someone wants to influence the June 2 election. Experts have predicted that the widening control of drug cartels in Mexico could make the election especially violent. Campaigning formally begins Friday. The western state of Michoacan has been particularly hard hit by gang turf wars. The watchdog group Civic Data said in a January report on political violence that “2023 was the most violent year in our database. And everything suggests that 2024 will be worse.”