ACAPULCO, MEXICO – A sudden surge in violence has left Acapulco, once a glamorous resort city, grappling with mounting fatalities. Five people were reported dead and one person wounded in a recent armed attack at a local grocery store near the city’s primary tourist avenue. The assault, which left four men and a woman dead, occurred just a few days after the discovery of ten bodies scattered around the city.
The prosecutor’s office in Guerrero state, where Acapulco is situated, confirmed the violent incident’s investigation. The attack is the latest in a series of violent episodes that have begun to define the once-popular tourist destination, which is now deemed as one of the world’s most violent cities.
Earlier last week, six bodies had been reportedly dumped near a market, followed closely by a shooting in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood that left three others dead.
Other notable incidents in recent months include the shooting of Acapulco’s traffic police head and the discovery of two men’s strangled bodies on the popular Condesa beach.
Drug trafficking has led to the steep rise in violence, with disputes between cartels leading to 1,890 murders in Guerrero in 2023 alone. The U.S. State Department strongly advises avoiding certain Mexican states, including Guerrero, due to crimes and violence. Meanwhile, the country is also wrestling with a wave of political violence leading up to the June 2 elections.