Summary based on documentary analysis, this article argues that there is a crisis in public policy on culture. The first indication of this is the definition of objectives and targets as part of the criticism of the neoliberal period, but in practice very similar to those defined in previous years, leading to a tendency to dominate speech and lack of precision in the practices it seeks to adopt. The 2 020 crisis has brought the cultural sector into a difficult situation which is leading to a process of deinstitutionalisation of cultural programmes due to budgetary problems. Much of the difficulties facing the cultural sector are not unique to Mexico, so the most important question is whether we are experiencing an international trend and where public commitment to culture is taking this process.