Why Does Sheinbaum Owe to the Cuban Regime? Mexican Analyst Reacts to Controversy Over Millions Sent to Cuba

The Mexican economist and political analyst, Mario Di Costanzo, has sharply criticized President Claudia Sheinbaum for allocating 588 million Mexican pesos to the Cuban regime through the "Sembrando Vida" program. This criticism comes in the wake of a suspension of surgeries at a public hospital in Michoacán due to a shortage of medical supplies.

On Sunday, Di Costanzo took to his X account to pose the question, "What does Sheinbaum owe to the Cuban regime?" He shared two official documents that support his claims: the ECI/0472/2026 letter from the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), dated March 31, 2026, and a letter from the General Hospital "Dr. Miguel Silva" in Michoacán, dated May 7, 2026.

Funds Transferred Amid Local Healthcare Crisis

"While surgeries in Michoacán are being halted due to a lack of medical materials, Sheinbaum donates 588 million to Cuba under the Sembrando Vida Program. And the payment goes to a company selling BYD cars," Di Costanzo remarked.

The AMEXCID document outlines a "Resource Donation Agreement" totaling 588 million pesos—equivalent to over 34 million dollars—between Bancomext, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AMEXCID, and Banco del Bienestar. This funding is earmarked for the "Second Phase of Sembrando Vida in the Republic of Cuba (Second Stage)."

Approval for this funding was granted on February 25, 2026, during the First Extraordinary Session of the Trust's Technical Committee, and the document bears the signatures of José Martín Rivera Barrios, Administrative Director of AMEXCID, and Mario Alejandro Mendoza Castañeda, Director General of Special Projects and International Cooperation Funds.

Concerns Over Chinese Connections

The same document includes additional payments amounting to 1,479,600 pesos to Dragon Charge, S.A. de C.V., identified as BYD Iztacalco agency in Mexico City, linked to the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, to be deposited in a Banorte account.

Dragon Charge's ties to Chinese capital have sparked concerns regarding potential evasion of U.S. economic sanctions on Cuba. This comes after Trump signed a new executive order on May 1, 2026, intensifying restrictions in the energy, defense, mining, and finance sectors.

Leaked Documents and Humanitarian Aid

The document was leaked by the Guacamaya Leaks account on X, which described it as "the 588 million pesos gift to Cuba through the resource diversion called Sembrando Vida." An official document confirmed Mexico's financial support to the island.

The second document shared by Di Costanzo is the 5009/2026/0099 letter from the General Hospital "Dr. Miguel Silva," signed by Dr. Iván Calvo Villalobos, Chief of Surgery Service. It informs the medical staff that "due to the lack of necessary medical supplies, elective surgical procedures cannot be performed at this time."

This controversy is set against the backdrop of Sheinbaum's foreign policy, which, despite halting crude shipments to Cuba in January 2026 under U.S. pressure, has continued and even expanded support to the regime with at least five shipments of humanitarian aid, including over 3,100 tons of food, medicine, and solar panels since February 2026.

The "Sembrando Vida" program was initiated by Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2018 and extended to Central America the same year. Its expansion to Cuba was planned as early as 2021, and it materialized with agricultural tractor donations in December 2023, following Díaz-Canel's meeting with Sheinbaum after the Mexican president's inauguration to strengthen bilateral ties.