Narcocorridos Banned and Sanctioned at Mexico’s Most Famous Fair: The San Marcos Fair

Millions of Mexicans and tourists flock to Aguascalientes this April to celebrate their patron saint, San Marcos.

The San Marcos Fair is world-famous for its bullfights, grape harvest, games for all ages, a casino where betting is high, and cockfights. It’s a must for Mexico’s most famous artists to present their shows, whether in auditoriums, the Palenque, or outdoors.

In recent years, the city has struggled to control the violence caused by excessive alcohol and drug use. Last year, hundreds of arrests and a few deaths were reported.

This year, the governor has taken a step forward to try to prevent clashes between drug traffickers and their followers. The government has banned narcocorridos, or face imprisonment or financial penalties for those who violate this provision.

And here a question arises: What will Julion Álvarez, Christian Nodal, Grupo Firme, and others who are approaching this musical genre do? Will they remain silent? And what will the lesser-known musical groups that liven up the shows in the hundreds of bars located in the fairgrounds do?

Recently, in central Mexico, during a group’s performance at a palenque, people became enraged and attacked a famous group for not performing narcocorridos. A similar reaction in San Marcos would be fatal.

Narcocorridos have been blamed for generating adoration of crime and promoting drug use. Many have called for their ban, and the United States government has begun canceling visas for their performers.

In Mexico City, authorities have limited the mass performance of several corridos known as tumbados, with the same themes as narcocorridos.

As a genre favored by younger generations, these impositions can determine the success or failure of the fight against drug trafficking.