Mexico's First Openly Gay Mayor, Benjamín Medrano Quezada, Shot Dead

In the Mexican city of Guadalajara, 59-year-old Benjamín Medrano Quezada — the first politician in Mexico’s history to become a mayor while openly declaring his homosexuality — was murdered. According to Infobae , the attack took place on July 7 while the politician was at an ice cream shop. According to police, an unknown person on a motorcycle rode up to the establishment and shot Medrano Quezada in the head. The politician died at the scene, and the suspect managed to escape. The identity of the deceased was officially confirmed by relatives a few days later.

In recent years, the former mayor had been under investigation. In 2022, he was accused of embezzling over 60 million pesos (about 3.4 million dollars) in public funds during his tenure on the board of trustees for the Zacatecas National Fair. Quezada’s relatives called these accusations political persecution. Reportedly, a court revoked his arrest warrant in 2025, so he was not a fugitive from justice at the time of his death. Police are currently investigating the motives for the murder.