Kidnapped mayor found dead in northern Mexico

Aug 18, 2010, 18:26 GMT

Mexico City - Mexican police on Wednesday found the body of a mayor who had been kidnapped over the weekend, President Felipe Calderon said.

On his Twitter account, Calderon - who belongs to the same centre- right party as the dead mayor - condemned the 'cowardly murder' of Edelmiro Cavazos, who had been the mayor of the northern Mexican town of Santiago for a year.

'Edelmiro's death makes us indignant and forces us to reinforce the fight against these cowardly criminals who attack citizens,' the president said, expressing his condolences to the mayor's family.

His body was found on the roadside in an area under construction. His head was wrapped in bandages and his hands were bound, Milenio Television reported.

Santiago is in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, about 30 kilometres south of Monterrey's metropolitan area. Monterrey is one of Mexico's three largest cities and its top business centre.

Cavazos, 38, was kidnapped by a group of 15 armed men late Sunday, along with a bodyguard who was released soon afterwards. No ransom was demanded.

Nuevo Leon Governor Rodrigo Medina and the state's attorney general, Alejandro Garza, travelled to the site where Cavazos' body was found.

In the neighbouring state of Tamaulipas, Rodolfo Cantu, the favourite in state elections for governor, was killed in late June - six days before the election.

Since taking office in December 2006, Calderon has escalated the fight against drug gangs by deploying additional national security forces. An estimated 28,000 civilians have died in the ensuing clashes.