Mexican band fined US$36,000 for glorifying drug cartels
MEXICO CITY: A popular Mexican band has been fined more than US$36,000 for performing songs glorifying drug cartels, authorities in the northern city of Chihuahua announced Wednesday.
At a Los Tucanes de Tijuana performance on Saturday, nearly a third of their songs were "narcocorridos" glamorising drug traffickers, according to city official Pedro Oliva.
The songs "glorified crime or alluded to the perpetrators of illegal acts," Oliva said in a television interview.
Los Tucanes were banned from performing in their home city Tijuana from 2008 to 2023 for alleged shout outs to two drug traffickers during a concert.
Several states across the country have imposed restrictions on the controversial subgenre of regional music, which is growing rapidly, even beyond Mexico's borders.
Peso Pluma, who blends corridos with rap and hip-hop, was the seventh most-streamed artist in the world in 2024, according to Spotify.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected the idea of banning "narcocorridos," preferring to launch a music competition "for peace and against addictions" to counter the influence of drug culture among young people.
Two months ago, the United States revoked the visas of the band Los Alegres del Barranco for showing images of a wanted drug lord during a concert.
At the end of May, members of Grupo Firme canceled a concert in the United States, saying their visas were under "administrative review" by the US embassy.--AFP
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