Grupo Firme, a popular regional Mexican music group, announced Friday that it had cancelled a weekend performance at a California music festival after the U.S. government suspended the musicians’ visas.
The announcement follows the U.S. State Department’s decision to revoke the visas of several Mexican musicians for performing a musical genre it says glorifies cartel violence.
The group, which has gained international fame for its regional Mexican music, said in a statement posted on Instagram that the visas for both its members and staff are under “administrative review by the U.S. Embassy.”
As a result, they will not be able to perform at La Onda Fest, scheduled for June 1 in Napa Valley, California. The statement did not address any long-term implications for the group.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said visa cases are confidential under U.S. law and declined to comment further.
The suspension is the latest in a series of actions taken by the U.S. government against Mexican artists in the genre, some of whom have portrayed cartel leaders as Robin Hood-like figures. While the narcocorrido genre has long stirred controversy, much of its music also reflects the harsh realities faced by Mexican youth caught in cartel violence.
Two months ago, the Mexican group Los Alegres del Barranco was sanctioned after projecting images of the leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel during a concert in Jalisco state.
“I firmly believe in freedom of expression, but that doesn’t mean it should be without consequences,” then-U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time. “The last thing we need is a welcome mat for those who glorify criminals and terrorists.”
Grupo Firme has recently attempted to distance itself from such content, announcing in April that it would no longer perform songs glorifying criminal groups.