A popular band in Mexico was fined the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars by government authorities for performing songs glorifying cartels, authorities said.
The band in question is Los Tucanes de Tijuana, who performed so-called "narcocorridos" during a show on Saturday. Chihuahua city official Pedro Oliva said the songs "glorified crime or alluded to the perpetrators of illegal acts." Overall, a third of the setlist were songs of the kind.
The band had been banned from performing in Tijuana for 15 years for performing such songs, CBS News reported on Thursday. The latest decision comes as the federal government pursues a wide-ranging strategy to ban "narcocorridos," with President Claudia Sheinbaum even launching a song contest with the motto "for peace and against addictions."
The contest was aimed at interpreters from Mexico and the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 34. The songs had to be up to three minutes long and could be both originals and covers. Participants were able to send their songs between April 28 and May 30.
Both the Mexican and U.S. governments have been cracking down on the genre. Members of the Mexican band Los Alegres del Barranco recently had their U.S. visas revoked after projecting images of "El Mencho," leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán during a concert in Guadalajara.
In April, hundreds of narcocorrido fans attended Luis R. Conriquez's concert in the city of Texcoco—15 miles outside of Mexico City When Conriquez informed the attendees that he would not be performing any narco-related tunes due to a government ban, the crowd responded violently.
Those opposing the narcocorrido bans—which are already in effect in states including Nayarit, Baja California, Chihuahua, and Quintana Roo—argue that they violate freedom of speech. Many artists have also defended the controversial genre, suggesting it reflects the reality of many Mexicans. While some songs glorify drug lords and the narco lifestyle, others criticize the government.
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