Sheinbaum Spends 25 Million Pesos on Books for Cuba as Critics Protest

Claudia Sheinbaum's administration approved an allocation exceeding 25 million pesos on February 28, 2026 to purchase and donate books to Cuba, Venezuela and other Latin American countries, acting on a request from the Fondo de Cultura Paco Ignacio Taibo II. The funding move formalizes a cultural shipment program that the federal government says will be financed through this allocation.

The Fondo de Cultura Paco Ignacio Taibo II made the request that prompted the purchase order, and officials linked to the program framed it as a coordinated donation effort for multiple regional partners. The decision identifies Cuba and Venezuela by name as recipients and extends the scope to additional Latin American countries, though the specific titles and institutional recipients included in the shipments were not detailed in the allocation notice.

Mexican media reaction was immediate: critics across national outlets condemned the use of more than 25 million pesos for an international book donation while domestic issues remain contested. Commentators described the expenditure as misplaced amid ongoing public debates over spending priorities in Mexico, and the criticism focused squarely on the Sheinbaum administration's choice to direct cultural funds abroad following the Fondo's request.

The allocation represents one of the clearest actions tying President Sheinbaum's cultural policy to regional outreach: a single line item exceeding 25 million pesos earmarked for book purchases and donations on February 28, 2026. The Fondo de Cultura Paco Ignacio Taibo II appears to be the intermediary arranging the acquisitions, and the administration approved the disbursement to fulfill that request.

As of February 28, 2026, the announced purchase stands as a concrete expenditure in the federal cultural ledger and a flashpoint in Mexican media coverage. The combination of a named requester - the Fondo de Cultura Paco Ignacio Taibo II - explicit recipient countries including Cuba and Venezuela, and the summed total of more than 25 million pesos guarantees this allocation will be cited in debates over Mexico's cultural diplomacy and budget priorities in the weeks ahead.