Mexico’s PAN Says 2 Party Activists Murdered

MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s National Action Party, or PAN, confirmed that two youth activists were murdered and condemned their deaths in the strongest terms.

The victims, Martin Alonso Colmenero and Francisco Javier Aguilar, were both active members of the center-right party’s Youth Action Secretariat in the northern state of Chihuahua, according to the PAN, which called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.

“National Action is mourning along with the family and friends of these young activists who were killed in a cowardly fashion, and hoping they can soon find consolation after such a lamentable tragedy,” Sunday’s statement read.

The youths were found dead Saturday on the Aldama-Juarez highway with their hands tied and gunshot wounds.

“These young people were activists dedicated to serving the common good from this political institution and, at the time of their deaths, were working together on a rural property regularization program, among other projects, before being kidnapped and murdered in the state capital (Chihuahua city),” the statement added.

The PAN is “extremely concerned” about the level of violent crime in Mexico that recently “has affected some activists within our party,” Chairman Gustavo Madero was quoted as saying.