Mexican governor, senator killed in helicopter crash

Martha Erika Alonso, the new governor of the central state of Puebla, and her husband, Senator Rafael Moreno, died when their helicopter came down not far from the state capital.

Martha Erika Alonso, governor of the state of Puebla, delivers a speech during her swearing-in ceremony in Puebla, Mexico on December 14, 2018.
Reuters

Martha Erika Alonso, governor of the state of Puebla, delivers a speech during her swearing-in ceremony in Puebla, Mexico on December 14, 2018.

A husband-and-wife political power couple who were the current and ex-governors of the central state of Puebla died on Christmas Eve in a helicopter crash, Mexican officials reported.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed his "deepest condolences" via Twitter to the family of Governor Martha Erika Alonso and ex-Governor Rafael Moreno Valle on Monday evening. He added that authorities would investigate the cause of the crash.

Marko Cortes, president of the couple's National Action Party, tweeted that he deeply lamented the fatal accident.

Alonso took office as governor less than two weeks ago.

Moreno Valle governed the central state from 2011 to 2017 and was currently a federal senator.

The Reforma newspaper reported that the helicopter took off from Puebla's eponymous capital city and crashed in Huejotzingo, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) away.

The result of the July vote in which Alonso won office was disputed by Lopez Obrador's Morena party, which alleged that it was marred by widespread irregularities and manipulated by Moreno Valle in order to hand power to his wife.

But independent electoral authorities upheld the result and she was sworn into office on December 14.

Route 6