Three apparent narco banners threatening popular Mexican singer Peso Pluma were found early Tuesday in different parts of Tijuana, a month before the artist is set to perform in the border city, officials confirmed.
One person was arrested in connection with the incident, said Tijuana Security Secretary Fernando Sánchez, who added that the Baja California Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation.
Peso Pluma, known for his corridos tumbados — a hip-hop infused traditional corrido that references drugs and violence — has a concert scheduled for Oct. 14 at Caliente Stadium as part of his Doble P Mexico Tour. The singer is scheduled to perform before then, on Sept. 30, at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista.
All three banners had the same message, Sánchez said. According to the Punto Norte news site, the banners were signed with the initials of a drug cartel warning the singer not to perform at his concert next month.
Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero said that authorities will wait for the results of the investigation by the prosecutor’s office to determine whether to cancel the concert for the safety of both the singer and the attendees.
She added that so far no representative of the singer have contacted the city.
Caballero had previously hinted that she was considering banning concerts of corridos tumbados performers in the city because they normalize violence, according to the newspaper Frontera.
But on Tuesday she said that such a proposal has not yet landed. “Us parents are responsible for what our children listen to,” she said.
Peso Pluma arrives to the Latin American Music Awards on April 20, 2023 at the MGM GMGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. (Foto AP/John Locher)
(John Locher / Associated Press)
“It is not enough to turn off the music, we have to know why our young people and children identify with these lyrics, that is the root of the problem,” she added. “Even if I ban corridos, young people will continue to listen to them.”
One of the companies listed on the event’s ticket website as the organizer did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment. Peso Pluma, who on Tuesday performed at the MTV Video Music Awards, has also not made a public comment on the incident.
Victor Clark Alfaro, a professor at San Diego State University, said these threats should be taken seriously.
“Today organized crime does not play games, these are very serious warnings,” he said.
Clark noted that there is a broad sector of the population who sympathizes with such music. “There is a huge amount of perhaps a younger generation that likes and are satisfied with that kind of music,” he said. “We can’t cancel the possibility for them to enjoy their music either.”
But there’s risk with “enemies who don’t like what they say.”
Peso Pluma and Eslabón Armado made history this year with their song “Ella baila sola,” the first regional Mexican song to top the Billboard’s Streaming Songs Charts.
In addition to Peso Pluma’s best known hits, the artist also has songs such as “El Azul,” “Igualito a mi apá” and “El Belicón,” whose lyrics make reference to Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera and his sons. That, according to EFE news agency, could be the reason for the threats.
It would not be the first time that a concert in Tijuana has been canceled due to intimidation. In February Grupo Arriesgado did not perform after a series of threats and gunshots were fired at an autograph signing event held the day before the concert was scheduled to take place. No injuries were reported in that incident.
