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The Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, stated that the rental of Chapultepec Castle for a private FIFA event does not violate any regulations. The payment was 1 million 300 thousand pesos, under the concept of “Payment of rights for use.”

“It was an event of cultural diplomacy for us because it gave visibility to our country as a cultural host,” he declared during the morning conference on June 26.

The gala dinner, held on June 10 towards the 2026 World Cup, generated criticism on networks and led INAH investigators to prepare a formal complaint against those who authorized the use of the property.

The official version

Curiel indicated that the act complied with the law and that the director of the INAH already spoke with the protesters. “It does not proceed because there is no violation of any law, it is payment of rights for use of the space within the framework of a cultural event of cultural diplomacy,” he said.

President Claudia Sheinbaum pointed out that the complaint is of an administrative nature, not criminal. “It was not a complaint to the Prosecutor’s Office, it was administrative,” he clarified. Sheinbaum added that his participation was limited to welcoming and that he did not attend the exclusive dinner. He also recalled that FIFA paid one million pesos and that the Castle has been available for rent for a long time.

Reaction from academics

Historian Felipe Echenique and anthropologist Juan Manuel Sandoval asked the FGR to investigate those responsible for the event, considering that it transgressed national laws such as the General Law of National Assets and the Federal Law on Monuments. In the letter of complaint, cited by EL UNIVERSAL, it is argued that the violation of the rule of law was “promoted and sponsored.”

Curiel assured that they will review the complaints and that the venue’s legal department follows an internal procedure. The debate on the use of heritage spaces for private purposes remains open.

Record attendance

The Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, reported that the country’s Network of Museums and Archaeological Zones increased its visitors by 18%. In the last two years, 57 million visits were registered, driven by an investment of 400 million pesos in infrastructure.

“It is relevant because we have strengthened the infrastructure with an investment of 400 million pesos, and many of us were accompanied to Teotihuacán with all the new signage, the new Museum of Mayan Grandeur,” he declared during the morning conference.

Security measures in Teotihuacán

The official highlighted the actions implemented in the Teotihuacán Archaeological Zone, where on April 20, a violent event occurred in the Pyramid of the Moon. Although he did not give details, he stressed that security operations have been reinforced to guarantee the visit.

The increase in visitors is also linked to the upcoming 2026 Soccer World Cup. Museums of the INAH, INBAL and the Ministry of Culture have mounted temporary exhibitions on the Mesoamerican ball game, an ancestral tradition of more than a thousand years.

“You know that the ball game is one of the most important ancestral ceremonies where the ball has been played in Mexico, in our country since Mesoamerican times for more than a thousand years,” said Curiel.

Featured exhibitions

Among the exhibits he mentioned the Museo Templo Mayor about the Ball Game in Tenochtitlan, and the National Museum of Anthropology exhibits photographs by Annie Leibovitz about the 1986 World Cup. In Fine Arts, “Aztlán” is presented, Chicano art and muralism by Roberto Montenegro. In the Museum of Modern Art there are permanent collections and experiences such as Sunrises and Sunsets in archaeological zones of Tula, Xochicalco and Boca de Potrerillos.

Meeting at the National Palace

President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed that during her meeting with King Felipe VI she addressed the request for an official apology from the Spanish Crown for the abuses committed during the Conquest.

Sheinbaum explained that the monarch listened carefully and proposed installing a working table on indigenous peoples at the next Ibero-American Summit, scheduled for November in Madrid.

The key points of the dialogue

The president highlighted that in Mexico 28 million people recognize themselves as indigenous and 69 languages are spoken. He stressed that the recognition of pre-Hispanic civilizations is part of national identity and a fight against discrimination and racism.

“For us it is a matter of dignity,” said the head of the Executive.

Cultural agreements

During the meeting, it was agreed to send three Mexican exhibitions to Spain: one on Spanish republican refugees, another on Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and a third on Mayan culture.

Sheinbaum described the meeting as cordial and stressed that the king is “a very simple person.” He also recalled that in 2019 the Spanish government recognized the abuses committed during the arrival of the Spanish, a gesture that facilitated the current dialogue.

After the meeting, Felipe VI traveled to Guadalajara to watch the Spain-Uruguay match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.