Peru labor ministry under fire for secret talks with disputed teachers' union

Former Labor Minister Jorge Villasante criticised the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTPE) for holding meetings with leaders of the National Federation of Education Workers (FENATE) that were entered into the official register only after a Canal N investigation, describing the encounters as “almost clandestine” and urging transparency and restraint during the government transition.

Sutep secretary Lucio Castro echoed the concerns, saying the July 15 meeting between Minister Flavio Cruz Mamani and Fenatep officials was recorded retroactively. He alleged that Fenatep is a front created by the political movement Movadef, which in turn is linked to the extremist group Sendero Luminoso, and argued that the union’s push for registration is illegal and politically motivated rather than a genuine labor representation effort.

Both critics noted that Fenatep’s previous recognition was annulled in 2023 and that the timing of the registration drive just days before the end of the current administration raises further doubts about the motives behind the secretive engagements.