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The Superior Audit Office of the Federation (ASF) of Mexico detected millions in irregularities in payments made by the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (CONADE) to the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation of Cuba (INDER) during Andrés Manuel López Obrador's administration.
According to an investigative report conducted by Azteca Noticias Sinaloa, the scheme involved the hiring of 29 Cuban coaches and the outsourcing of over 1,200 doping tests in a laboratory on the island without evidence of compliance.
The ASF requested to investigate and sanction public officials for a “contract simulation” under the leadership of Ana Gabriela Guevara at CONADE.
The agreement with INDER was signed by the Deputy Director of Quality for Sport, who did not have the authority to do so. There is no evidence that the coaches performed duties in Mexico.
The agreement included more than 1,200 anti-doping tests in Cuba, but there are no reports confirming their execution.
Five transfers were made to the Embassy of Cuba in Mexico totaling over 15 million pesos, classified by the ASF as damage to the treasury.
According to the research cited by Azteca Noticias, the hiring of Cuban coaches in 2019 lacks immigration records that confirm their entry and stay in Mexico, professional profiles that validate their suitability, and reports of activities that demonstrate their involvement in training national athletes.
The ASF also noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) was not notified to assess the viability of the international agreement, as required by regulations.
The anomalies
The payment to the Embassy of Cuba —and not to suppliers or service providers with evidence of service— is part of the documented anomalies.
According to the audit, public resources ended up funding unaccredited services while there is no evidence of deliverables or that INDER fulfilled its contractual obligations.
Azteca Noticias frames the findings within a period of tension over the Mexico–Cuba agreements for professional services (medical and sports).
In this case, the auditors maintain that CONADE—under the management of Ana Gabriela Guevara—paid millions for “ghost” coaches and for anti-doping tests without evidence, which triggers the path for administrative and reparative responsibilities.
Based on the observations from the ASF, it is the responsibility of the internal control bodies, the Secretariat of Public Function, and, if applicable, the relevant judicial authorities, to determine responsibilities, recover public funds, and impose penalties on the officials involved.
In parallel, the CONADE must validate the services or present technical and documentary counterarguments to the audit.
Financing the government?
The businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego, owner of TV Azteca, harshly criticized the Mexican government after it was revealed that Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), through its subsidiary Gasolinas Bienestar, has exported thousands of barrels of crude oil and fuels to Cuba without disclosing the payments received for these operations.
Additionally, he hinted that some of those resources could end up funding the ruling party, Morena.
The statements from Salinas Pliego come after a report by El Universal documenting how Gasolinas Bienestar refused to provide evidence of payments to Cuba, arguing that as a private commercial entity, it is not obligated to adhere to transparency laws.
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