A mayor has come under fire after a video showed him putting a woman over his shoulder and spanking her.
José ‘Pepe’ Cinto Bernal was seen dancing with the woman at a public party.
He lifted her onto one shoulder and apparently slapped her backside several times.
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The clip spread online days later and opposition politicians called the mayor’s conduct “inappropriate”.
The footage was filmed during Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations in Nealtican in Puebla State, Mexico, on 15 September.
Cinto is mayor of the neighbouring town of Juan C. Bonilla.
A regional band was playing as the pair spun around on the dancefloor.
The woman has not been named and has not spoken publicly about the incident.
As of this morning (25 Sep), Cinto has still not issued an apology or public statement.
Puebla PAN leader Mario Riestra Piña shared the video and asked why the ruling Morena party has stayed silent.
“Why does Morena stay silent in the face of these events?” he wrote.
He said the mayor “forgot that he is a public servant” during the patriotic fiestas.
PAN accused him of treating the woman as an object.
Cinto was elected on a joint Green Party and Morena ticket in June 2024 after winning on a joint PAN–PRD ticket in 2021.
Juan C. Bonilla is a small municipality west of the city of Puebla.
Independence Day is marked across Mexico with parades, bands and all-night parties on 15 September.
This is not the first time Cinto’s conduct at public events has been filmed.
He was previously shown appearing drunk at fiestas and was once pelted with flowers as he tried to deliver a town report, as reported by Need To Know.
The political row continues.
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