Ayuso Excluded from Platino Awards in Mexico Following Visit Scandal. The organizers of the Platino Awards refused Ayuso's participation after her remarks about the Conquest. Madrid spent nearly 500,000 euros on sponsorship, but the regional head will not appear at the ceremony. The scandal has affected the capital's image and sparked a new wave of debate.
A high-profile scandal surrounding the Madrid leader's visit to Mexico has led to unexpected consequences: the organizers of the prestigious Platino film awards refused the participation of the regional president, despite the fact that Madrid invested €450,000 in sponsoring the event. According to the contract, the city's logo and promotional materials were supposed to be featured at all key venues of the ceremony, but Ayuso's speech was canceled following her controversial remarks about the Conquest.
Contract details and sponsorship terms
According to official documents published on the procurement portal, Madrid secured an extensive presence at the Platino Awards: from the logo on the red carpet to mandatory display of a tourism video. Regional authorities emphasized that participation in such an international event is an opportunity to promote Madrid as a filming location and a tourist destination for guests from 23 Latin American countries. The contract specifically states that any changes in the format must be agreed with the Madrid administration, otherwise the region has the right to terminate the agreement and demand reimbursement.
Reaction to statements and cancellation of the visit
However, after Ayuso publicly expressed support for the figure of Hernán Cortés and held a commemorative event in Mexico City, a heated debate broke out in Mexico. The country's left-wing forces, including President Claudia Sheinbaum, sharply condemned the position of the Madrid leader. As a result, the Xcaret consortium, which hosts the Platino ceremony, insisted on excluding Ayuso from the list of guests due to her 'unfortunate statements' about the Conquest. This decision was also supported by the award organizers, leading to the cancellation of the speech and the regional delegation's visit.
Reputational and financial consequences
Despite the president's absence, all advertising and marketing obligations under the contract remain in force: the Madrid logo will appear at press conferences, on the red carpet, in promo videos and special events. Regional authorities expect that even without Ayuso’s personal presence, the event will bring significant advertising benefits to Madrid. According to the administration’s estimates, previous Platino ceremonies in Madrid and Mexico provided exposure worth hundreds of millions of dollars and were broadcast in more than 170 countries. However, the current scandal has cast doubt on the effectiveness of such investments and once again brought Spain’s capital into the center of international attention.
Parallels with other sponsorship failures
This is not the first time that a major sponsorship by Madrid has been accompanied by conflict. Last year, both the region and the city faced the cancellation of the final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race due to protests against the Israeli team. Such situations highlight the risks to the capital's reputation when participating in international projects. As reported by russpain.com, the cancellation of Ayuso's visit and pressure from the Mexican authorities were key reasons for the current crisis — details on the development of the conflict around Platino.
