Ayuso finances her prominence in México with public money: more than 300,000 euros to be “guest of honor” at a fair

The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has begun a ten-day official trip to Mexico marked by controversy after it became known that her presence as “guest of honor” at the Feria Nacional de San Marcos, in Aguascalientes, is linked to an outlay of more than 300,000 euros of public money. Far from being a spontaneous institutional recognition, the Madrid participation has been financed through agreements paid for by the very own autonomous administration.

According to data from the regional Executive, the operation is articulated through the public company Madrid, Cultura y Turismo, which has signed two agreements: one with the Fair Board for a value of 193.000 euros and another with the Institute of Culture of Aguascalientes for 116.000. In total, the figure reaches 309.000 euros, destined to cover everything from the cachet of cultural performances to the installation of its own space in the fairgrounds.

This expenditure was not contemplated in the General Budgets of the Community of Madrid for 2026, which has forced the approval of a specific transfer at the end of 2025 to provide funds for the operation. Furthermore, as of today, the agreements do not appear in the corresponding public registry, which adds doubts about the transparency of the process and the planning of this initiative.

During her stay in Aguascalientes, Ayuso will receive various recognitions, among them the Medal of Liberty from the local Congress, the keys to the city, and an award linked to her defense of Hispanidad. A program of distinctions that comes accompanied by a considerable public investment and that reinforces the institutional image of the president abroad.

The formula chosen to channel this expense has also generated questions. Initially, the regional Government had proposed a sponsorship contract close to 487,000 euros, but finally opted to reduce the amount through collaboration agreements. From the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport, the reasons for this change have not been explained.

From the regional Executive, the investment is defended by appealing to the weight of Mexican tourism in Madrid. According to its figures, Mexico is the second market in tourist spending and the fourth in number of visitors, with about 650,000 tourists in 2025 who generated close to 2,000 million euros.