Introduction
The year 2023 has been challenging for Mexico, and the CNTE (Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación) is making it even tougher. While steel tariffs have barely affected central Mexico City’s merchants, the CNTE protests have cost them 25 billion pesos in just 20 days.
Widespread Impact of CNTE Protests
The consequences of the CNTE protests extend beyond central Mexico City’s merchants. There are marches in Yucatán, Guerrero, and Michoacán. Aeroports in Mérida and Mexico City have experienced blockages. Approximately 1.2 million students in Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero are unable to complete their school cycle due to student strikes in 20,000 schools.
Conflicting Rights
The right to protest by teachers clashes with other rights, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Blocked avenues prevent workers from working and cause losses for businesses already struggling in a difficult year. Sales have dropped by 40% to 60%, or even more, impacting the tertiary sector’s PIB, which measures commerce, tourism, and services.
Unattainable Demands
The CNTE’s demands are nearly impossible to fulfill, especially the 100% salary increase and the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE (Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado) law. The salary increase alone would cost around 93 billion pesos, and repealing Calderón’s reform from 18 years ago would require recalculating the situation of over 3 million public servants. This would affect several PIB points, similar to rescuing Pemex or Fobaproa.
Government’s Role and Strategy
The government has chosen to prioritize the rights of those with more influence, leaving citizens as pawns in this conflict. The Secretaría de Gobernación will eventually explain their negotiation strategy, but for now, people are bearing the brunt of inconveniences and losses, which serve as negotiation leverage for the CNTE’s coercion tactics.
CNTE vs SNTE: The Main Conflict
The primary conflict is between the CNTE and SNTE (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación). At stake are public resources worth billions, political positions, and a portion of educational policy leadership. In a dramatic yet symbolic act, a group of Guerrero teachers set fire to the SNTE headquarters on República de Venezuela street in Mexico City’s historic center.
Importance of Teachers’ Unions
Teachers’ unions are crucial in Mexico’s political chess game. The SNTE is the largest educational workers’ union in Latin America, previously allied with the PRI to govern teachers and win elections. It has rebranded under Morena’s colors. The CNTE, founded in 1979, has always confronted the government but enjoyed a period of understanding with AMLO during his tenure.
Current Situation
As Sheinbaum’s administration begins, the SNTE seems closer to the government, while the CNTE refuses to lose what it achieved with AMLO. Their demands include unattainable salary increases and the repeal of a law designed to prevent public financial breakdown.
Trump vs Musk: A Separate Note
Trump vs Musk
The relationship between Trump and Musk has ended. What lies ahead is an unprecedented battle: the wealthiest man on Earth versus a president who seemed all-powerful just days ago. The stakes are high, involving immense power, money, and ego. It’s a clash of alpha males, reminiscent of an Animal Planet episode, promising scandals and drama.
