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Factchequeado, with support from the International Center for Journalists' (ICFJ) Disarming Disinformation program, and in collaboration with journalists in Mexico, presents “Putin's Laundromat,” a cross-border investigation documenting how the Mexican Journalists' Club has become a key node for amplifying Russian propaganda, rewarding international disinformers, and providing space for operations that benefit the Kremlin.
Factchequeado's investigation reviewed all content published on the Mexican Journalists' Club website between March 2020 and September 2025 (4,539 articles in total), as well as the last year's editions of its magazine. It also analyzed the list of the Club's award winners since February 2022 (when Russia invaded Ukraine) and the members of the judging panel, as well as the workshops offered. The investigation also includes an account of a visit to the Club's headquarters. “The content we are publishing today is the result of months of collaborative and cross-border work. What we have managed to document is that Russia has a partner in Mexico that launders its content and narratives and has received Mexican public funds,” said Laura Zommer, CEO of Factchequeado. For his part, Rafael Olavarría, a journalist at Factchequeado and one of the authors of the investigation, states that "the Journalists' Club does not operate in a vacuum: it fits in with Moscow's behavior, which, since the Cold War, has sought to influence Mexico through local actors to amplify its narratives and influence. Today, we are documenting the digital version of this historic strategy, which also impacts Latinos on both sides of the border."
Key findings
The website of the Mexican Journalists' Club is used to amplify propaganda from Russian and Cuban state media. The site presents itself as an “informative body” that promotes “freedom of expression and journalistic rigor,” but in reality it functions “as a conduit for pro-Kremlin and anti-Western propaganda,” according to a technical analysis by the Alliance for Securing Democracy. Since April 2025, 72% of its content has come from state media, mainly Russia's RT and Sputnik, and Cuba's Prensa Latina.
The Club's magazine, which receives Mexican public funds, spreads conspiracy theories and pro-Russian voices. In the last 22 issues analyzed, 11 covers reinforce Russian foreign policy narratives. The magazine published articles by disinformation agents and conspiracy theorists, such as Paul Craig Roberts and Thierry Meyssan, and quotes from the Russian ambassador to Mexico without identifying his position. Between 2020 and 2023, the Mexican Senate allocated $51,000 in advertising contracts to this magazine, despite its limited audience.
International awards from the Club given almost exclusively to Russian propagandists and disinformers. Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Club has awarded most of its international prizes to Russian propagandists and disinformers from around the world, including the Moscow-funded media outlet Tsargrad, linked to Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev—who faces criminal charges in the US— and figures such as Alex Jones, convicted of defamation in 2022. It also awarded influencers such as Jackson Hinkle, known for promoting pro-Russian disinformation.
The Club building serves as a venue for RT workshops. In addition to award ceremonies, the Club has made its facilities available for senior officials from the Russian state media outlet Russia Today (RT) to give “workshops” to Mexican journalists.
The Club case is part of a broader strategy of Russian influence in Latin America. RT has held workshops in at least eight countries in the region and is broadcast in Mexico through more than 80 cable companies and one open channel. “RT's aggressive investment in Mexico and its strategy to build credibility and undermine the United States pose a threat to current popular perception,” said an April 2024 State Department cable obtained by The New York Times. In September 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice seized 32 internet domains from two Russian companies linked to a “doppelganger” operation cloning government websites in a manipulation campaign that includes Mexico as a direct target. Moscow's strategic interest in Mexico is historic and has been documented since the Cold War.
The investigation “Putin's Washing Machine” includes the following notes:
From the USSR to today: Moscow's interest in Mexico
About Factchequeado
Factchequeado is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that bridges the information gap in Spanish for more than 68 million Latinos. We expand access to verified and relevant content and strengthen Spanish-language media by fostering innovation, collaboration, and community-driven solutions.
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