Mexico City CNTE teachers stage media blockades and plan airport, stadium protests ahead of World Cup

The Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE) continued its citywide strike, disrupting traffic and blocking access to major media outlets on Paseo de la Reforma, including El Universal, Excélsior, Milenio, Televisa Chapultepec and TV Azteca. Protesters gathered at the corner of Avenida Reforma and Bucareli and elsewhere, demanding that President‑candidate Claudia Sheinbaum repeal the 2007 ISSSTE law and address pension‑fund concerns. The union also cited a 9 % salary increase as a partial concession but called for further dialogue.

On the fifth consecutive day of demonstrations, CNTE leaders announced plans to extend actions to the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and the Azteca Stadium next week. The protests aim to press the government for a meeting and to highlight teachers’ grievances before the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony at the stadium. The union’s activities have drawn additional teachers from other states and involved a broader coalition of social groups.

The city's authorities have kept the Zócalo cordoned off, limiting public access, while Sheinbaum indicated a willingness to dialogue through the Secretariat of the Interior, without direct participation from the CNTE.