Amid a growing controversy over narcocorridos in Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum declared this Monday that her government is not seeking to ban the musical genre but rather to promote a social awareness that avoids the glorification of violence and drug trafficking.
"I am against prohibition and censorship. Rather, it's promoting other content, and that's why we have the México Canta competition, which will greatly help ensure that violence and drugs are not justified," the president said at her morning press conference.
Her statement comes after a series of recent incidents that have rekindled debate about the role of music in organized crime culture.
Last weekend, during the Feria del Caballo en Texcoco, singer Luis R. Conríquez refused to perform narcocorridos due to a recent state ban. This decision angered some attendees, who booed him and then began destroying furniture, instruments, and sound equipment, causing chaos and violence in the venue.
@vox_populi_noticias 🚨💢Luis R Conriquez lanza fuerte comunicado tras lo ocurrido en el Palenque de Texcoco ⤵️ LuisRConriquez FeriaDelCaballo2025 Texcoco Corridos RegionalMexicano ConciertoTexcoco SinCorridos PalenqueTexcoco LuisRConriquezEnVivo MéxicoCanta Sheinbaum FeriaTexcoco
♬ sonido original - Vox Populi Noticias - Vox Populi Noticias
This incident adds to the controversy generated by the group Los Alegres del Barranco in Guadalajara, who projected images of "El Mencho," leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán during their performance.
Narcocorridos are a musical subgenre that chronicles the exploits of drug trafficking figures, glorifying their lifestyles and violent acts. While some defend these songs as a form of cultural expression, others criticize them for promoting violence and organized crime.
A binational reaction
While more and more Mexican states have begun to ban narcocorridos and the city of Guadalajara has opened an investigation against the Alegres del Barranco for glorifying crime, President Sheinbaum chose to launch initiatives to encourage the creation of music that promotes positive values and distances itself from stories of figures and episodes of organized crime.
One of these initiatives is México Canta, a national competition that seeks to encourage artists to compose songs that highlight themes such as love, peace, and family.
For its part, the State Department revoked the US visas of members of Los Alegres del Barranco, and other artists who sing these types of songs have reportedly been having trouble obtaining work permits to perform already scheduled musical tours in the United States.
"We're not going to roll out the red carpet for those who glorify criminals and terrorists," he told Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
