CNTE Teachers Block Airports in Mexico Ahead of World Cup 2026

Teachers affiliated with the National Union of Education Workers (CNTE) are intensifying their protests across Mexico, staging marches and blocking key infrastructure, including airport access in several states. These actions coincide with the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup inauguration.

In Chiapa de Corzo, near Tuxtla Gutiérrez, hundreds of teachers from Section 7 of the SNTE union blocked access to the Ángel Albino Corzo airport early Thursday morning. Burning tires and occupying the road, the educators demanded direct national dialogue with President Claudia Sheinbaum and CNTE representatives. The blockade caused significant disruption, preventing passengers from reaching their flights for over two hours before the teachers allowed them to leave the area.

A CNTE source indicated that the airport blockade, which began before 6 a.m., would continue indefinitely. This escalation of protests aims to pressure the federal government, which the union claims is unresponsive to their demands for negotiation and dialogue.

Meanwhile, in Pachuca, teachers from the General Secondary School Number 1 marched in solidarity with the CNTE's national mobilization. Carrying banners and chanting slogans, they voiced demands for pension payments based on minimum wages, the elimination of UMAS (Unit of Account and Reference Values), and the abolition of Afores (retirement fund administrators), arguing they lead to insufficient retirement pensions.

The protesting teachers also called for the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law, advocating for dignified retirement, respect for labor rights, and the defense of public education. They further rejected the System for the Career of Teachers and Masters (USICAMM), seeking a fundamental transformation of the education sector to ensure fair processes for entry, promotion, and job security.