MURDERS SHAKE MEXICO CITY
This article by Sugeyry Romina Gándara appeared in the May 20th, 2025 edition of Sin Embargo.
Ximena Josefina Guzmán Cuevas and Jesús Muñoz Vega, murdered Tuesday morning, were young officials with long careers, part of a generation of public servants who knew how to navigate between the technical and political spheres.
A double homicide, a direct attack in broad daylight, on one of the busiest avenues in Mexico City, right in front of the Metro, during rush hour and in a high-traffic area, shook the foundations of the capital’s political circle.
Ximena Josefina Guzmán Cuevas served as private secretary to Mexico City’s Head of Government Clara Brugada, and Jesús Muñoz Vega was a legislative advisor with extensive experience in Congress. Both were part of the city leader’s inner circle.
The crime was confirmed this morning by Brugada and President Claudia Sheinbaum herself, and reactions on social media poured in quickly, with messages from officials, legislators, and ruling party figures. The shock wasn’t unfounded: the victims belonged to the inner circle of those who currently govern the capital and the country.
She was a sociologist, a runner, and a blackberry farmer in urban gardens, according to her social media accounts; he was a meticulous technician, dedicated to the legislative machinery.
Ximena Guzmán Cuevas, 42, had studied in Paris and at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), and described herself as a “cliff lover.” He built a career between legislative committees, opinions, and public policies. Both were part of the city government’s inner circle.
Brugada described Ximena as a “wonderful, tireless, good woman. Very good. And I’ve known Pepé almost since I was a child. He’s one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met and extremely responsible.”
Both were killed by gunmen on a motorcycle who quickly and directly opened fire on them. Ximena was driving her Audi—acquired in 2021, according to her asset declaration—while waiting for Jesús, who was about to get into the vehicle. According to initial reports, she died in the driver’s seat, and Jesús’s body was left lying on the street.
Brugada also asserted that the crime “is being investigated with the same rigor with which institutions carry out their work every day. It is our commitment to ensure that there is no impunity.”
Who Were They?
Ximena and Jesús were young officials with long careers, part of a generation of political operators who knew how to navigate between the technical and the political.
Ximena Guzmán Cuevas was 42 years old. A sociologist by training, a civil servant with a solid institutional career, an athlete, and an advocate for urban gardens, she had held the position of private secretary to the Head of Mexico City government, Clara Brugada Molina, since September 2023.
On her personal account on the X network (formerly Twitter), she described herself as a “runner, traveler, and cliff lover.” She also defined herself as a “sports sociologist,” passionate about urban cycling, and an active supporter of progressive causes, including her public support for the current head of the capital.
According to her 2024 asset declaration, she held a degree in Sociology from the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) in 2006. She subsequently earned a master’s degree from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, France, in 2010.
Her institutional career was extensive and consistent. Between 2010 and 2012, she worked as an education coordinator in the Iztapalapa Municipality. Later, from 2012 to 2013, she was a sports liaison in the Miguel Hidalgo Municipality. From there, she became deputy director of monitoring for the Mayor of Mexico City between 2013 and 2015, and later, between 2015 and 2018, she held the position of deputy director of tours and working meetings in the Government Secretariat of the capital.
In 2023, prior to her current role, she also served as a private secretary at the Iztapalapa City Hall, where her work focused on direct customer service.
Ximena was characterized by her mixed profile: a highly trained technician, and at the same time, a political operator who built bridges between public administration and social leaders. Her role as private secretary to head of government Brugada placed her in a strategic position within the inner circle of local power.
For his part, Jesús Muñoz was a legislative technician with vast experience. He had a background in Political Science and Public Administration. He specialized in social policy, accountability, budget analysis, and parliamentary processes, as his career took him through various levels of government and legislative bodies.
According to a 2017 resume circulating online, he was a key figure in the design, evaluation, and oversight of social programs.
Muñoz served as an advisor in the Chamber of Deputies for two terms: from 2006 to 2009 and from 2015 to 2018. He was also technical secretary from 2003 to 2006. In the then Legislative Assembly of the Federal District, he served as coordinator of advisors to the PRD Parliamentary Group from 2012 to 2015, in addition to holding positions on specialized committees overseeing the General Accounting Office of the Treasury, public administration, and budget.
He actively participated in Mexico City’s Constituent Assembly and was part of the technical teams responsible for shaping the capital’s institutional design. His work included drafting official documents, monitoring legislation, and developing regulatory frameworks on social and urban issues.
He also served as an external advisor to the Social Prosecutor’s Office of the Federal District, was the advisory coordinator for the Iztapalapa Delegation, and was part of the technical team of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Deputies. Throughout his career, he also worked in local governments in the State of Mexico and Baja California Sur, as well as in organizations such as the “Casa y Ciudad” Center for Urban Studies.
Jesús Muñoz had worked with Clara Brugada from the beginning of her first administration in Iztapalapa as an advisory coordinator, strengthening ties to the social projects promoted by the country’s most populous municipality. His profile was valued for his technical knowledge, political analysis, and meticulous work in legislative processes.
The violent deaths of both public servants have shocked the capital’s administration.
Sugeyry Romina Gándara has worked as a crime reporter and photojournalist in Chihuahua. In recent years, now based in Mexico City, she has dedicated herself to covering issues of disappearances, security, and victims of violence.