CATEM leader announces plan to field worker candidates in 2027

Pedro Miguel Haces Barba, leader of the Confederation of Autonomous Workers and Employees of Mexico (CATEM) and a federal deputy, announced that the union will promote its members as candidates for elective offices in the 2027 elections. Haces Barba stated that the goal is to have workers directly participate in creating the laws that affect their working conditions across all 32 Mexican states.

The announcement has caused friction within the ruling coalition. Reginaldo Sandoval, coordinator of the Labor Party (PT), criticized the move, suggesting that Haces Barba—who is also a Morena deputy—might be threatening the unity of the ‘Fourth Transformation’ (4T) by potentially running under different party banners. Sandoval emphasized that the 4T movement consists only of Morena, PT, and PVEM, and characterized any other path as opposition.

In contrast, Ricardo Monreal, coordinator for Morena, supported the autonomy of CATEM. Monreal stated that Morena does not support corporatism and believes the union should be free to define its own political future and engage in dialogue with whichever parties it chooses.