Russian Propaganda Finds Outlet at Mexico City’s Journalists’ Club, Which Also Hosts Weddings

Inside Mexico’s Journalists’ Club: Russian Propaganda Hub Doubles as Historic Event Venue

In the heart of Mexico City’s historic center, just 900 meters from the Zócalo and National Palace, stands a grand colonial-era building at number 8 Filomeno Mata Street. The imposing structure, with its Baroque architecture and stone façade, houses the Club de Periodistas de México, a nonprofit organization founded in 1952 that publicly condemns falsehoods while simultaneously promoting Russian propaganda about Ukraine and other Kremlin-favored narratives.

The three-story building spans nearly 1,900 square meters and serves multiple functions beyond its public mission. While it hosts press conferences, journalism awards, and media events, it also operates as a rental venue for weddings and social gatherings, advertised on websites like Bodas.com as a “Viceregal Palace” that “connects you with the cultural richness of the city.”

This dual identity has created a surreal juxtaposition: the same space where Russian Ambassador Viktor Koronelli received an award for Russian propaganda outlet Tsargrad’s Ukraine war coverage also hosts quinceañeras and wedding receptions. “This is your Mexican home,” Celeste Sáenz, one of the Club’s leaders, told the ambassador during a 2023 ceremony.

The building’s historical significance matches its physical presence. Originally a Bethlemite Order convent, it passed through various government departments before President Adolfo López Mateos decreed in 1961 that it would house the Club Mexicano de Periodistas. Today, it features a monumental staircase leading to multiple halls, including the López Mateos Hall on the first floor, and accommodations for permanent and temporary guests on the upper levels.

A visit to the venue reveals both its grandeur and its current operational reality. The marble chessboard floor beneath perfectly molded columns creates an impressive backdrop for events, while office staff readily quote rental rates of 77,000 pesos (approximately $4,191) for a six-hour booking, plus additional cleaning fees. Already, six events are booked for the final months of 2025.

What the rental staff don’t typically mention is the building’s role in promoting Russian interests. Last year, it hosted a media course led by Russia Today (RT), similar to one held in Venezuela that reportedly ended with participants shouting “¡Viva Rusia!” and “¡Viva Putin!” according to fact-checkers Cazadores de Fake News. The Club has also been particularly generous in bestowing journalism awards to Russian state media outlets.

The organization is led by Celeste Sáenz and Mouris Salloum George, who oversee not only the venue’s operations but also a magazine, website, podcast, and social welfare foundation for journalists named after Spanish founder Antonio Sáenz de Miera Fieytal. The foundation shares the building with the Club, creating a seamless operation between their various activities.

The Club’s political connections extend beyond Russian ties. It recently hosted a press conference by leaders of Morena, Mexico’s ruling party, promoting judicial reform. In 2019, it welcomed former Bolivian President Evo Morales after his resignation, demonstrating its role as a politically significant space in Latin American affairs.

Inside, extensive video surveillance monitors events while staff maintain the historic property. The building’s façade is frequently used for television and commercial filming, adding another dimension to its multifaceted identity.

This investigation into the Club de Periodistas forms part of a larger series titled “Putin’s Laundromat,” examining how Russian influence operates in Latin America. The Club exemplifies how seemingly respectable institutions can serve as vehicles for foreign propaganda while maintaining legitimate public functions – hosting a wedding one day, filming a television series the next, and the following day, presenting awards that amplify Kremlin narratives.

As Mexico’s position in geopolitical affairs continues to evolve, the activities within this historic building represent the complex intersection of journalism, propaganda, politics and commerce – all operating beneath the veneer of a prestigious cultural institution in the heart of Mexico City.