Mexican mayor dragged through streets over ‘failure to fulfil campaign promises’

Jorge Escandón Hernández, the mayor of a village in Chiapas state, Southern Mexico, was dragged through the streets by angry locals for allegedly failing to fulfil his campaign promises.

The mayor was pulled out of his office, tied to a pick-up truck and dragged through the streets on Wednesday.

The locals, who include farmers in the village, are requesting that Hernández fulfil his promise to repair a road and bring drinking water and electricity to the community of about 500 persons.

The footage captured by a CCTV showed him being dragged through the streets of Santa Rita, a part of Las Margaritas.

UNA SU ARRASTRADA. Alcalde de #LasMargaritas, Jorge Luis Escandón Hernández, es sujetado a una camioneta que lo arrastra en pleno parque central, luego de haber sido secuestrado de la propia alcaldía #Chiapas #VideoViral pic.twitter.com/ptdP7g2w92

— Tinta Fresca Chiapas (@tinta_fresca) October 8, 2019

It took police’ intervention to free the mayor, who reportedly suffered no major injuries.

About eight hours after the incident, the mayor appeared at the central square in Las Margaritas and gave a speech.

He blamed leaders in the Santa Rita community for the incident, saying he would not be intimidated.

Hernández said he would press charges for ”abduction and attempted murder”.

According to the BBC, a group of men had thrashed the mayor’s office four months ago when they did not find him there.

In the build-up to the mayoral election in Las Margaritas, he was arrested on suspicion of taking part in a brawl with supporters of a rival candidate, but was later released for lack of evidence.

Eleven persons have been arrested since the incident.