The accounts of Ayuso's opaque trip to Mexico: three officials declare almost 15,000 euros in expenses while she only keeps 623 euros public

The accounts of Isabel Díaz Ayuso's trip to Mexico have, as of this Friday, a contrast that is difficult to explain. While the president of the Community of Madrid has only published 623.28 euros for her trip last May, three high-ranking officials who were part of the entourage have declared 14,847.78 euros in transport, accommodation, and subsistence.

The figure is almost 24 times the expenses that appear under Ayuso's name. The only payments attributed to the president correspond to two reservations for the authorities' lounge at Terminal 4 of Barajas airport, one for 220.89 euros on departure and another for 402.39 euros on her return. Flights, hotels, travel within Mexico, and meals remain blank.

Each member of the delegation had different functions and itineraries, so their invoices do not allow for a precise calculation of how much Ayuso's stay cost. They do show that this institutional trip generated the usual expenses of any international trip, precisely those that still do not appear in the president's declaration.

Ayuso tried to close the questions this week with a brief explanation. "Everything that has not been an expense of the Community of Madrid cannot be published," she stated. Her Government has not yet clarified who then covered the bulk of the trip, officially announced to strengthen economic and cultural ties between Madrid and Mexico.

The identity of the payer is especially relevant when it comes to the regional president during an institutional activity. It would allow knowing if private funding existed, under what conditions it occurred, and if it should have been registered. An advisor to Ayuso even indicated that businessman Enrique Cerezo had assumed some expenses, a version that Cerezo himself later denied.

Almost 24 times more

The largest expenditure corresponds to Mariano de Paco, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sport. The high-ranking official has declared 6,609.45 euros between May 2 and 11, of which 6,028.10 were allocated to locomotion and 581.35 to accommodation.

De Paco justified the trip due to his participation in business meetings, meetings with Mexican governorships, and the Platino Awards ceremony. His invoice alone exceeds ten times the amount published by Ayuso, although it also does not include living expenses.

Laura Martínez Cerro, General Director of Tourism and Hospitality, has declared another 4,286.13 euros. Close to 3,004 correspond to travel and 1,282 to accommodation. The stated reason was the promotion of the Community of Madrid in Mexico, considered one of its main international markets.

The third name is Ruperto Merino Solís, Director of Management of the Teatros del Canal. His sheet shows 3,952.20 euros, divided between 3,652.92 euros for locomotion and 299.28 for maintenance. No amount appears for accommodation.

The three belong to the Culture and Tourism area, which played a central role in the tour. The public company 'Madrid Cultura y Turismo', chaired by De Paco, signed two agreements for 193,000 and 116,000 euros for Madrid to participate as a guest region in the San Marcos National Fair in Aguascalientes.

That outlay of 309,000 euros corresponds to the institutional participation of Madrid and is separate from the personal expenses of the entourage. Even so, it helps to measure the public dimension of a tour that the Ayuso Government presented as an international promotion operation and whose main invoices are still unknown.

Empty agendas

The three officials have published their expenses, although their institutional agendas remain empty between May 3 and 11. The justifications mention business meetings, encounters with Mexican authorities, and cultural activities that are not detailed in the official records.

The same happens with Ayuso. The Community itself disseminated her meeting with the Governor of Aguascalientes and representatives of Querétaro, Chihuahua, and Guanajuato, in addition to the awarding of the Medal of Liberty. None of these events appear on the president's public agenda during the trip.

The tour ended up derailing before the Platino Awards. Ayuso accused the Government of Claudia Sheinbaum of promoting a boycott and stated that her security was threatened. The Mexican Executive denied having limited her movements and assured that the entire visit took place "in an atmosphere of total freedom."

After canceling the last events, the president remained for about two and a half days in the Cancún area before returning to Madrid. The regional government assured that she dedicated that time to finding a way to return to Spain, but it has also not reported on her accommodation, her movements, or the activity carried out during those days.

The opacity also extends to Miguel Ángel Rodríguez. The Chief of Staff joined the expedition after testifying as a suspect in the Plaza de Castilla courts. His expense record contains no entry about Mexico, despite detailing flights, hotels, and cars with drivers used during other official trips.

The general secretary of the PSOE-M, Óscar López, stated this Friday that he does not rule out filing an appeal with the Justice system to force Ayuso to publish all the information. "It is improper of a democracy to say in the 21st century that transparency obligations do not count for the Community of Madrid," he criticized.

The PSOE-M has already demanded the invoices and the identity of the people or entities that paid for the trip. Más Madrid also demands to know who paid for the stay and under what conditions. Three months later, Ayuso's public accounts still begin and end at two doors of the Barajas authorities' lounge.