In September 2025, Mexican legislator Victoria Gutiérrez Pérez from Veracruz sparked national and international attention after making an extraordinary claim during a session of the Veracruz State Congress. Gutiérrez, a member of the ruling Morena party and chair of the Special Committee for the Attention, Monitoring, and Development of Coffee Growing in Veracruz, stated that scientists from Veracruz had built a spaceship capable of traveling to Mars—and that she had asked them to take coffee from Veracruz with them so “outer space could smell like coffee.”
Her remarks were made in the context of promoting International Coffee Day, celebrated on October 1, and were intended to highlight the cultural and economic importance of Veracruz’s coffee industry. However, the lack of scientific evidence, names, or technical details behind her claim led to widespread ridicule. “Don’t you know coffee is also drunk in space?” she asked, defending the idea as a tribute to local youth and scientific talent.
Social media platforms erupted with memes, jokes, and satirical videos. Users posted images of astronauts sipping coffee in orbit, rockets shaped like coffee pots, and fictional mission patches reading “Veracruz to Mars.” Hashtags like #CaféInterplanetario and #NASADeVeracruz trended across Mexico.
Opposition lawmakers, including Deputy María Elena Córdoba of the Citizens’ Movement Party, criticized the statement as unserious and a distraction from real issues affecting over 90,000 coffee producers in the state. Córdoba emphasized the need for concrete support policies rather than fantastical proposals.
While Gutiérrez defended her comments as symbolic and visionary, the episode has reignited debates about political discourse, scientific literacy, and the role of legislators in promoting regional development.
Source: RÉCORD
