Earlier today, the widely anticipated Rosemont Theatre concert of rising Mexican recording artist Peso Pluma, originally scheduled for the night, was rescheduled due to reported death threats by a Guadalajara drug cartel. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the show on Pluma's "Doble P" tour is now set to take place on October 29th.
The threats made headlines when four banners appeared simultaneously in different areas of Tijuana, Mexico, warning Peso Pluma, a singer known for praising Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in his songs, to cancel his October 14 concert. As reported by ABC7 Chicago, these banners ominously stated that the concert would be "his last," specifically citing the artist's "disrespect and loose tongue."
Montserrat Caballero, the mayor of Tijuana, has addressed the situation, saying that it remains unknown whether the threats were made by members of organized crime or an unappreciative citizen. Regardless of their origin, these death threats have cast a shadow on the entertainment industry and forced a reconsideration of the role narcocorridos, a subgenre of Mexican regional music typically centered around drug dealers, play in both local and global contexts.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Jalisco New Generation cartel took responsibility for the threat, explicitly stating that Peso Pluma should "refrain from presenting" at his October concert. This same cartel is the primary rival of the infamous Sinaloa cartel, once led by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, whom Peso Pluma refers to in songs such as his popular narcocorrido, "GAVILÁN II."
In the face of danger, Peso Pluma has remained mostly silent, avoiding any public commentary on the threats, though several of his upcoming U.S. concerts have been postponed as well. According to ABC7 Chicago, one man has already been arrested for his involvement in the threats. Whether the Tijuana concert will move forward, Mayor Caballero notes, depends on the results of the ongoing investigation.
In the midst of this controversy, Peso Pluma made history by becoming the first Mexican star to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards. A landmark moment for the young artist and the genre of regional Mexican music, his milestone appearance at the MTV VMAs is a testament to the growing influence of Latinx artists in the entertainment industry.
