San Mateo Piñas City Council resigns out of fear after councilwoman's murder; Congress loses powers

OAXACA, Oaxaca (apro) .- In the fifth safest state in the country, according to Secretary of Government Jesús López Romero, the president of San Mateo Piñas, Lilia Gema García Soto, was killed in the municipal palace, and all members of the city council resigned because they “fear for their lives.”

Faced with this situation, the Oaxaca Congress approved, with 33 votes in favor, the elimination of powers in the San Mateo Piñas City Council. Therefore, a peace commissioner will be appointed, who will report to the Government Secretariat and will have control of federal resources to address the administrative issue.

On June 15, 2025, at around 11:00 a.m., five people aboard two motorcycles arrived at the Municipal Palace of San Mateo Piñas, in the Costa region, and shot at the municipal president and Gregorio García Ruiz, representative of the Agua Caliente community, who also lost his life in the attack.

After an armed group stormed the municipal palace in San Mateo Piñas, Oaxaca, and murdered councilwoman Lilia Gema García Soto, the state attorney general (FGEO), Bernardo Rodríguez Alamilla, stated that five lines of investigation are being pursued.

"The FGEO has five probable motives to determine the lines of investigation surrounding the murder of the mayor of San Mateo Piñas. The complaint filed by the mayor of San Mateo Piñas with the FGR is being investigated for possible mismanagement of public funds related to federal aid, due to the damage caused by Hurricane Agatha."

It has emerged that the alleged embezzlement amounts to 25 million pesos during the Tomás Victorio García administration.

He also emphasized that this investigation has a comprehensive approach that seeks to encompass the victims' entire context in order to clarify the events. He revealed that other leads being pursued relate to the report of theft of 120,000 pesos from the municipality of San Mateo Piñas, in addition to another report of forgery of his signature on documents.

Rodríguez Alamilla specified that other evidence being investigated is related to a complaint about the trafficking of timber in the region. The political and social aspects of the municipality are also being investigated, as the election process was complex, with groups within the community vying for control.

She explained that the mayor had not previously reported any threats against her. She also explained that the municipality of San Mateo Piñas is not among the crime hotspots, nor is there any evidence to suggest a possible connection with organized crime.

However, after one month and eight days, the entire council resigned and feared for their lives, prompting the local Congress to dismantle municipal powers in that town on the Oaxaca coast.