CNTE protests resume in Mexico City over alleged breach of education agreements

On July 16, sections 9, 10, 11 and 60 of the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE) re‑activated street protests in Mexico City, blocking the avenue Isabel la Católica in front of the Coordination General of Human Resources of the Federal Education Authority. The teachers allege that the Secretary of Public Education (SEP), the Federal Education Authority in Mexico City (AEFCM) and the Institute of Security and Social Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) have failed to honor the agreements signed on 19 June, which covered bonuses for teachers with graduate degrees, basification of roughly 2,500 teachers, equalisation of benefits with the State of Mexico, a retirement bonus, scholarships for teachers’ children and the hiring of displaced staff.

President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected a direct meeting with the CNTE, stating that decisions on salaries, promotions and benefits will be taken through a school‑by‑school consultation involving all teachers, not just union leaders. She also questioned the union’s proposals to replace exams with mixed commissions for promotion. CNTE leader Pedro Hernández warned that continued non‑compliance could trigger a new 20‑day strike or intensified mobilisations, and he called for demonstrations at the president’s public events.

A limited concession was reported: scholarships for children of Section 9 teachers have begun to be distributed via bank cards. Traffic disruptions were expected in the historic centre during the protest.