Governor of Mexico's Morelos State challenges crime gangs

(Vatican Radio) The Governor of the troubled Mexican State of Morelos, where a Mayor-elect was shot dead, has thrown down the gauntlet to organized crime rings.

Listen to James Blears' report:

Morelos State Governor Graco Ramírez has declared: "The Government will not be intimidated by organized crime." Accordingly, he has ordered State Police to take control of 15 cities, towns and municipalities away from local Municipal Police.

This follows the assassination of Gisela Mota, on Saturday. less than 24 hours after she'd been inaugurated Mayor of Temixco. She was gunned down in her home.

Police shot dead two of her attackers and arrested three others, including a 32 year old woman, an 18 year old man and a youth.

The Bishop of Cuernavaca Ramon Castro held a mass at Gisela Mota's home on Sunday, before her funeral.

Drug cartels often target figures of respect, authority and power to intimidate the rest of the community. 

The State Governor is pressing for State police to hold control of all law and order matters.  Gisela Mota supported this proposal, but not all Mayors want to relinquish this power to the State.