Why Trump is pushing subject assistance for Mexico
The fashionable Mexican determination euphony set Grupo Firme announced connected Friday that it was canceling a show successful a euphony festival successful California implicit the play aft the United States authorities suspended the musicians' visas.
It comes aft the U.S. State Department has revoked visas of a fig of Mexican musicians for playing a genre of euphony that it says glorifies cartel violence. The announcement besides came conscionable 2 days aft the bodies of 5 Mexican musicians were recovered successful Reynosa on the Texas border.
Grupo Firme, which has soared to planetary fame playing Mexican determination music, said successful a connection posted connected its Instagram account that the visas of them and their squad are presently nether "administrative reappraisal by the U.S. Embassy" and that it would marque it "impossible" for them to execute successful the La Onda Fest to beryllium held successful the metropolis of Napa Valley, California connected June 1. But the station didn't item what it would mean successful the agelong word for the philharmonic group.
The U.S. Embassy successful Mexico said that visa cases are confidential according to U.S. instrumentality and couldn't supply much accusation connected the case.
Members of the Mexican determination set "Grupo Firme" execute during a escaped performance successful Mexico City's main square, the Zocalo, Sept. 25, 2022.
Eduardo Verdugo / AP
The suspension is conscionable the latest successful a bid of moves the medication of U.S. President Donald Trump has taken targeting Mexican artists successful the genre, who successful immoderate cases person glorified the leaders of cartels arsenic benignant of Robin Hood figures. While the genre of "narco-corridos" has stirred controversy, overmuch of the euphony besides speaks to the harsh realities facing Mexican younker caught successful cartel violence.
Two months ago, the Mexican philharmonic radical Los Alegres del Barranco was sanctioned aft it projected images of the person of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel astatine a performance successful the occidental authorities of Jalisco.
"I'm a steadfast believer successful state of expression, but that doesn't mean that look should beryllium escaped of consequences," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said astatine the time. "The past happening we request is simply a invited mat for radical who extol criminals and terrorists."
But Grupo Firme has taken steps successful caller months to region itself from the facet of the philharmonic genre glorifying transgression groups, announcing successful April soon aft the contention that it would not sing specified euphony successful concerts.
Musicians caught successful cartel turf wars
Mexican musicians person antecedently been targeted by transgression groups that wage them to constitute and execute songs that glorify the exploits of their leaders.
Such performers often unrecorded successful adjacent proximity to their cause lord patrons, and tin astatine times get caught up successful cartel turf battles.
On Thursday, the 5 musicians from the set Grupo Fugitivo were found dead aft prosecutors said they had been kidnapped. Officials said 9 suspects believed to beryllium portion of a faction of the Gulf Cartel, which has beardown beingness successful the city, person been arrested.
The conveyance belonging to Mexican philharmonic radical Grupo Fugitivo is seen extracurricular the Specialized Unit for the Investigation of Forced Disappearances, aft Mexican authorities confirmed that 5 members of the set were recovered dead, successful Reynosa, Mexico May 29, 2025.
Stringer / REUTERS
"Narcocorridos" are a arguable sub-genre of euphony successful Mexico, and the songs person caught the attraction of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who precocious launched a euphony contention "for bid and against addictions," seeking to antagonistic the popularity of the euphony among young radical successful Mexico and the United States.
Several regions successful the state person banned "narcocorridos," sparking a recent riot during a performance aft a vocalist refused to execute immoderate of his astir fashionable songs.
In January this year, a tiny level was reported to person dropped pamphlets connected a northwestern metropolis threatening astir 20 euphony artists and influencers for alleged dealings with a warring faction of the Sinaloa cause cartel.
In 2018, equipped men kidnapped 2 members of the philharmonic radical "Los Norteños de Río Bravo," whose bodies were aboriginal recovered connected the national road connecting Reynosa to Río Bravo, Tamaulipas.
In 2013, 17 musicians from the radical Kombo Kolombia were executed by alleged cartel members successful the northeastern authorities of Nuevo Leon, allegedly due to the fact that of links to a rival gang.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
English (US) ·