Union Leaders Targeted in Quintana Roo: 3 Killed in 2025

Cancún, Mexico — At least three union leaders and workers have been killed in different municipalities of Quintana Roo so far this year, revealing a troubling pattern of violence targeting key figures in the labor sector.

Recent Killing Sparks Outrage

The most recent case occurred on Monday when Mario Machuca Sánchez, state leader of the CROC (Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants) and former federal deputy, was executed in broad daylight in Cancún outside an automotive dealership.

His murder triggered a wave of outrage from business, tourism, and union sectors, which demanded justice and questioned the state’s ability to protect those who represent workers.

Two Additional Killings in 2025

This crime follows two other killings recorded earlier this year:

• On July 25, in the Alfredo V. Bonfil district of Cancún, a local delegate of UNTRAC (National Union of Workers in the Construction and Related Industries), identified as César Contreras Arteaga, was shot dead by armed assailants while traveling along one of the area’s main streets. Contreras was known for representing motorcycle taxi drivers, a key transportation sector in peripheral zones.
• On May 12, former sugarcane leader Evaristo Gómez Díaz of the Union of Local Sugar Cane Producers (ULPCA) was found dead alongside his bodyguard and driver in the town of Sacxán, Othón P. Blanco municipality. This killing occurred despite Gómez Díaz having survived a kidnapping attempt in 2022 and an armed attack in 2024.

A Pattern of Violence Against Unionism

The three homicides share common elements:

• All were carried out with extreme violence.
• The victims held or had held key positions in labor organizations.
• None had protection, despite prior threats or attacks.

Experts and industry leaders warn that these crimes are not isolated incidents but part of a growing trend of weakening social leadership amid a broader surge in intentional homicides in the state.

Criticism of Government and Calls for Action

The organization Empresarios por Quintana Roo (Business Owners for Quintana Roo), along with various voices from the union sector, has demanded decisive action, institutional coordination, and an immediate halt to impunity.

“What happened to Mario Machuca is not just an attack on an individual—it is a direct blow to the labor organization that sustains the state’s productive framework,” the group stated.

Citizens have also expressed concern on social media and public forums, arguing that if visible leaders can be killed without consequences, the safety of ordinary workers is even more at risk.

Quintana Roo, one of Mexico’s primary tourism hubs, now faces not only a security crisis but also a crisis of institutional legitimacy in protecting those who advocate for thousands of workers.