Kali Uchis has pulled the plug on her Guadalajara concert. Promoters Ocesa announced the news on social media this week, after a drug lord’s death triggered a wave of violence and unrest in Mexico.
According to Billboard, Uchis was scheduled to perform on February 22 at the Auditorio Telmex in Guadalajara. A rescheduled concert date was not announced; however, Ocesa did provide refund information for affected ticket-holders. Uchi touched on the cancellation in a February 23 Instagram Story, in which she showed love to Guadalarja and stressed the importance of everyone’s safety.
Uchi, who is in the midst of her Sincerely Tour, confirmed that her February 25 concert in Mexico City was still on.
The American-Colombian pop star joined a growing list of artists who have canceled or postponed live shows in Mexico, as security forces remain on high-alert following the killing of Rubén Nemesio Oseguera, aka “El Mencho” — the boss of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Mexican official confirmed Oseguera was killed during a U.S. intel-back operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco. The drug lord was reportedly wounded during a shootout with the Mexican military, and succumbed to his injuries while being transported to medical facility.
Oseguera’s death ignited widespread retaliatory violence attributed to Mexican crime organizations. Alleged cartel members set fire to vehicles and blocked more than 250 roads in western Mexico. The country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said criminal groups have killed more than two dozen soldiers in Jalisco after the raid that led to Oseguera’s death.
“What is important now is to guarantee peace and security of all the population, of all of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said in a Monday press conference, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The U.S. State Department has urged all citizens to avoid traveling to parts of Mexico that have been put under Code Red security alert. U.S. travelers who are in affected areas have been advised to “shelter in place” as daily life and operations return to normal.