The Cuban ambassador to Mexico, Eugenio Martínez Enríquez, rejected allegations that products sent as humanitarian aid from Mexico are being sold in stores for foreign currency on the island, and accused the Mexican channel TV Azteca of spreading "lies and misinformation" about the fate of those donations.
In an extensive post shared on Facebook this Thursday, the diplomat defended the management of the Cuban government and stated that "the aid is indeed for the people of Cuba," while labeling the account presented by the Mexican media as false.
“The generous assistance to the people of Cuba offered by the Government of Mexico and thousands of Mexicans and Cubans, through the donation and shipment of food, medicine, and other supplies, is being attempted to be tarnished by TV Azteca,” stated Martínez Enríquez in his pronouncement.
According to the ambassador, the Mexican channel would be trying to discredit the solidarity between both countries with information that, he asserted, lacks evidence.
"More than informing, its news coverage and reporting are tied to political objectives. To reinforce that pattern, this outlet lies and spreads misinformation.", he wrote.
Martínez Enríquez stated that the images or reports showing Mexican products for sale in Cuba do not correspond to donations, but rather to goods imported through commercial contracts.
“Without providing evidence, because none exists, TV Azteca accuses the Cuban authorities of selling the aid sent,” stated the diplomat.
In that regard, he explained that in 2025, Cuba imported food products from Mexico worth tens of millions of dollars through formal business operations.
"The scheme involves presenting as evidence the sale in Cuba of products that public or private Cuban companies imported from Mexico through purchase contracts. In 2025, products from the food industry worth several tens of millions of US dollars were exported from Mexico to Cuba. Of course, these are sold in stores," he stated.
The ambassador also assured that the humanitarian aid sent by the Mexican government and citizens is being distributed free of charge among the population, especially in the most vulnerable sectors.
"The aid is being distributed transparently and with ample evidence to the most vulnerable sectors of the population, with priority given to pregnant women, children, the sick, and the elderly," he stated.
In his message, the diplomat once again thanked the Mexican government and people for the donation of aid aimed at alleviating the crisis the island is experiencing.
Direct attack on TV Azteca
The statement also included harsh criticisms of the Mexican media outlet that published the investigation.
Martínez Enríquez stated that the complaints are part of a political campaign and maintained that the solidarity between Mexico and Cuba will not be affected by what he termed "slander."
"In no way will the solidarity of the brotherly Mexican people and the grateful reception from the Cuban people be tarnished by the slander of media complicit in the crime that the U.S. blockade represents against the Cuban people," he declared.
He even sent a direct message to the owners of the channel: “We invite the owners of TV Azteca to focus on fixing their finances and paying off the enormous debts owed to their creditors. With their usual lies, they will not achieve their goals. They are doing poorly.”
The ambassador also attributed the worsening of the crisis on the island to the sanctions imposed by the United States, which he stated have limited access to fuels and affected production and basic services.
The complaint that sparked the controversy
The diplomat's reaction comes after TV Azteca published a report alleging that products sent as humanitarian aid from Mexico are being sold in state-run stores in Cuba that operate in dollars.
The investigation, presented by journalist Rodrigo Lema, claims that some of the donated foods—among them the so-called "well-being bean"—are being sold in establishments linked to state-controlled companies and the military sector.
According to the report, bales of 30 kilos of beans are being offered for 43 dollars at wholesale distributors, while in state stores the product is sold for 2.97 dollars per half kilogram.
The report also includes testimonies from citizens who claim they have not received the donated food despite the arrival of ships with humanitarian aid in the Bay of Havana.
Some interviewees stated that, following the arrival of those vessels, stores that had previously been almost empty began to sell products of Mexican origin.
The response from the Cuban government
Cuban authorities also rejected the accusations. The Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) stated that it is false that the products donated by Mexico are being sold in stores for foreign currency.
“The Ministry of Domestic Trade reports that the news circulating on digital social networks regarding the commercialization of products donated by the brotherly people and government of Mexico in foreign currency collection stores is false,” the institution stated in a press release.
According to the organization, the food sent as humanitarian aid continues to be distributed free of charge to the population through the country's network of warehouses.
"The distribution and free delivery of products to the population in the warehouses continues," assured the ministry, which also urged citizens to obtain information only through official channels.
Political reactions
The reports also prompted reactions in the U.S. political arena. Cuban-American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar stated that for years she has warned that the international aid sent to Cuba ultimately benefits the ruling elite.
"While Cubans are starving, the dictatorship turns international naivety into a business for the military and the regime's elite," he wrote on the social network X.
The legislator concluded her message with a warning to the Cuban government: “They will fall. And they will be held accountable. Very soon.”
While the controversy continues, the Cuban government insists that the Mexican donations are distributed free of charge among the population, while the report from TV Azteca claims that some of those products have ended up in the commercial circuit in foreign currency, which is inaccessible to most Cubans.
Filed under: