This past Friday, TV Azteca countered accusations from Cuban Ambassador to Mexico, Eugenio Martínez Enríquez, who had labeled the channel's investigative report as "lies" and "misinformation." The broadcast, aired on Thursday, revealed that Mexican humanitarian donations were being sold in Cuban state stores operating in dollars.
In a direct rebuttal posted on their official @AztecaNoticias account on X, the Mexican network stated: "You engage in politics; we engage in journalism. We didn't rely on hearsay; we were present, capturing on camera the realities faced by the people.
While you defend a regime, we expose the truth: aid sold in dollars and a suffering populace. That's the difference—our task is to inform, while you deny and defend the indefensible." The post quickly garnered over 3,200 likes and 906 retweets.
Documenting the Sale of Humanitarian Aid
The report, spearheaded by journalist Rodrigo Lema, showcased images of humanitarian aid sent from Mexico being sold in TRD Caribe stores, a foreign currency retail chain linked to the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR). A particularly highlighted item was the "frijol del bienestar" (welfare beans), sold at $2.97 for half a kilo or $43 for a 30-kilogram sack. Additionally, the sale of Mexican toilet paper in these stores was documented.
Interviews conducted with Cuban residents in Havana and Matanzas revealed that the aid had not been distributed via ration cards. "We haven’t received anything. It's an open secret that everything is sold in the TRD stores of the FAR and the State Council, all in dollars," disclosed one interviewee.
Another resident expressed skepticism: "What puzzles me is that these military-run currency stores were empty before, and now they are stocked full."
Cuban and Mexican Reactions
A Mexican citizen residing in Cuba also shared his perspective with the channel: "Many Cubans tell me that Mexico supports Cuba greatly, but it all ends up being for business."
Ambassador Martínez Enríquez dismissed the allegations, claiming the images depicted legal commercial imports, not donations. Supporting this, Cuba's Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) issued a statement declaring the news false and insisting that food is distributed for free through their warehouse network.
This controversy erupted weeks after Mexico dispatched two major humanitarian aid shipments to Cuba. The first, weighing 814 tons, arrived on February 8, followed by a second shipment of 1,193 tons on February 28, which included 92 tons of beans. The aid, directed by President Claudia Sheinbaum, was intended primarily for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and vulnerable families.
María Elvira Salazar, a Cuban-American congresswoman, supported the report, warning: "I have been denouncing this for years: for decades, any humanitarian aid sent to the regime supposedly for the Cuban people ends up in the hands of the Castro elite or resold at exorbitant prices. They will fall. And they will be held accountable. Very soon."
Understanding the Controversy Over Cuban Humanitarian Aid
What was the main claim of TV Azteca's report?
TV Azteca's report claimed that humanitarian aid from Mexico was being sold in Cuban state stores that operate in dollars, instead of being distributed freely to the people.
How did the Cuban government respond to the allegations?
The Cuban government, along with Ambassador Eugenio Martínez Enríquez, rejected the accusations, asserting that the images shown were of legal commercial imports, not donations, and maintained that food is distributed freely through their warehouse network.
Who supported TV Azteca's findings?
Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar supported the report, arguing that humanitarian aid often ends up in the hands of the Cuban regime rather than reaching the people who need it.