Grecia Quiroz, the widow of Carlos Manzo Rodríguez, has been appointed by the Michoacán state legislature as substitute mayor of Uruapan, following the assassination of her husband, who was the city’s mayor until his assassination Saturday during a Day of the Dead festival.
Quiroz’s swearing-in is scheduled to take place during an extraordinary session of the state legislature on Wednesday, where she will formally assume office for the remainder of the 2024-2027 constitutional term.
“The legacy that Carlos left will be taken up again. We will continue with the Movimiento del Sombrero [Hat Movement], you can be sure of that,” Quiroz said.
The Hat Movement is an independent political organization founded and led by Manzo in Uruapan, Michoacán. Its name and symbol are a nod to the Sahuayo hat that the late mayor used to wear regularly.
Rumors of Quiroz’s candidacy started circulating on Monday, with her name being mentioned in Michoacán’s political circles even before her nomination was officially announced.
“I will be holding meetings to discuss how to govern the municipality. We will honor Carlos’s memory […] We will move the municipality forward and we will work together, hand in hand,” she declared before the nomination was finalized.
Destrozada, Grecia Quiroz García, esposa del alcalde Carlos Manzo, tomó la palabra durante el homenaje en la plaza principal de Uruapan.
“No mataron al presidente de Uruapan, mataron al mejor presidente de México. El único que se atrevió a decir siempre la verdad, sin temor por… pic.twitter.com/vXTvVFX7zv
— José Luis Morales (@JLMNoticias) November 2, 2025
On Tuesday, Quiroz held a meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace in Mexico City, where she arrived around 2:00 p.m. escorted by two National Guard trucks. At the same time, members of the Uruapan City Council presented the proposal for Grecia Quiroz to serve as the alternate mayor in place of her husband.
The president of the Political Coordination Board of the state legislature and coordinator of the majority Morena caucus, Fabiola Alanís Sámano, has confirmed that Quiroz has the support of all political forces and there is no impediment for her to assume office.
“There will be no difficulty, no obstacle, and no one who opposes this decision,” Alanís stated, while ensuring security will be reinforced for Quiroz and her two children.
Amidst displays of grief, the soon-to-be mayor expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and affection shown to her and her children, and called for honoring her husband’s memory by continuing the protests peacefully.
“Let’s honor his memory,” Quiroz said in a video shared on Manzo’s social media channels following violent protests in Michoacán. “You, his followers, know that his struggle was always a peaceful one. He always stood against violence.”
With reports from El País and El Financiero
