Feminists Collectives Stop israeli Participation in Sinaloa Cultural Festival

ByMexico Solidarity

This article by Jonatan Azbat Carillo originally appeared in the September 29, 2025 edition of Mesa Reservada.

Israel’s inclusion in the Sinaloa 2025 Cultural Festival program sparked controversy after feminist groups denounced the country’s participation, arguing that it could be interpreted as an attempt to “whitewash the genocide in Gaza.”

Following these initial criticisms, artists and human rights advocates joined in on social media, increasing pressure on the Sinaloa Institute of Culture (ISIC). As a result, the organization announced the removal of an Israeli artist’s work and the withdrawal of Israel’s name from the event’s official advertising.

The ISIC emphasized that at no time were institutional relations established with the State of israel. The inclusion of the Israeli artist’s work was achieved solely through the international call for entries of the Miniprint program, which accepted pieces from 11 different countries following the criteria of the call.

The institute condemned israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, citing the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, published by the UN on September 16, 2025.

Furthermore, the Institute supported Palestine’s right to exist and reaffirmed the importance of a peaceful two-state solution, a position upheld by Mexico at the UN.

The ISIC reiterated its solidarity with the Palestinian people and joined the international calls for peace and an end to the genocide in Gaza. With this action, the Sinaloa 2025 Cultural Festival demonstrates how social and feminist pressure can influence cultural and institutional decisions in Sinaloa.