Mexican state loses third governor in a row

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The central Mexico state of Puebla lost its third governor in a row, when Gov. Miguel Barbosa died Tuesday of unspecified causes.

The state’s previous two elected governors were killed in a 2018 helicopter crash.

Barbosa was a former leader of The Democratic Revolution Party and later joined President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Morena party.

López Obrador tweeted his condolences to Barbosa’s family, and the state government confirmed the governor had died in Mexico City, but did not state a cause.

Barbosa had long struggled with diabetes. and suffered the amputation of a leg several years ago.

The husband and wife team of Gov. Martha Erika Alonso and ex-Gov. Rafael Moreno Valle died when their rented helicopter crashed due to an unaddressed maintenance problem.