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The call from former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to raise funds in support of Cuba has already begun to generate responses within the political class of his own movement.
Several officials and legislators associated with Morena have made their donations to the bank account public, which was shared by the former president to channel resources to the island, amid the severe economic crisis facing the Caribbean nation.
The call was launched on March 14 through social media. López Obrador urged the Mexican citizens to make financial contributions to a bank account belonging to the civil association Humanidad con América Latina, established at Banorte, with the aim, as he explained, of purchasing food, medicine, oil, and gasoline for the Cuban people.
Among the first to respond was federal deputy Carlos Castillo Pérez, a representative of Morena from Mexico City, who announced that he donated 61,871 pesos, which he explained is equivalent to one month of his legislative salary.
The legislator published the proof of the transfer along with a message inviting other deputies and senators to follow suit.
"I respond to the call of our retiring movement leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador. I have decided to donate one month of my salary. I invite my fellow local and federal deputies and senators to do the same," he wrote.
According to the media La Silla Rota, Javier Hidalgo Ponce, director of the Mexico City Sports Institute, also joined in, reporting that he deposited 10,000 pesos into the same account.
“The fate of Cuba is not alien to us. Our sisters and brothers are not alone,” he wrote on social media.
Another official who confirmed her participation was Julia Álvarez Icaza, Secretary of the Environment of Mexico City, although in the image she shared of the deposit, the amount is covered.
On social media, a post by Senator Elizabeth "Lizzy" Guzmán Argueta also circulated, in which she claimed to have joined the fundraising effort initiated by López Obrador. The legislator shared a screenshot of a bank transfer for 41,000 pesos, accompanied by a message in which she defended the initiative.
"Humanism is demonstrated through actions (...) I join the call with my contribution and invite everyone to contribute any amount, because every act of solidarity counts," he wrote.
The legislator Cuauhtémoc Estrada Sotelo also contributed the same amount as Guzmán Argueta.
Meanwhile, while some members of the ruling party celebrate the initiative, the call has also raised questions.
Criminal lawyer Elliot Velher warned that making donations intended for Cuba could pose legal risks for individuals with financial ties to the United States, as the island remains designated by Washington as a state sponsor of terrorism, activating the sanctions regime known as Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR).
According to the explanation, the restrictions may apply even to transactions conducted outside the United States if the final destination of the funds ultimately benefits the Cuban regime or if the operations pass through U.S. banks.
Meanwhile, the fundraising has also sparked controversy over the organization responsible for receiving the funds. The association Humanity with Latin America recently received authorization from the Tax Administration Service (SAT) as a charitable recipient, in a process that has been described as unusually swift by critics of the initiative.
Official records indicate that the certificate was granted on March 9, just days before López Obrador's public call.
Additionally, the registered contact email for the organization is linked to Carlos Pellicer López, a relative of the Tabascan poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara, a political figure close to López Obrador at the beginning of his career.
Despite the criticism, the Cuban government quickly responded.
The ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly thanked the initiative of the former Mexican president and referred to him as "brother," emphasizing the historic solidarity between both countries.
"In the name of Cuba, I will never tire of thanking Mexico for its generous solidarity and support for the heroic resistance of the Cuban people," he wrote on social media.
The campaign remains open as López Obrador insists that any contribution, no matter how small, can help alleviate the difficult situation faced by millions of Cubans on the island.
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