Ex-SEP official claims unpaid severance, forced to sell assets

Marx Arriaga Navarro, formerly the director-general of Educational Materials at Mexico's Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) and a prominent advocate for the new Free Textbooks, has publicly denounced the government body for allegedly withholding his severance pay. Arriaga claims he has not received his final payment over six months after his departure from the post.

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The SEP is not giving me my severance pay and I find myself in the need to sell off work tools.

This alleged non-payment has forced Arriaga into a difficult financial situation, compelling him to sell off personal assets. He announced via social media that he is putting up for sale work tools, including an oven, and a property located in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. "The SEP is not giving me my severance pay and I find myself in the need to sell off work tools," Arriaga wrote, adding that he can no longer afford the interest on his financial commitments.

Arriaga expressed his distress, stating, "I can't take it anymore. I prefer to give it all away than let Santander [a bank] auction it off." He emphasized that more than six months have passed without the corresponding compensation after his employment relationship with the federal agency concluded, attributing his current financial struggles directly to this situation. He also posted on X, "If anyone is looking for a house in Juarez, I am practically giving away the assets I built as a teacher."

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I can't take it anymore. I prefer to give it all away than let Santander auction it off.

Arriaga Navarro became a visible figure in the educational policies of the Andrés Manuel López Obrador administration, particularly through his involvement in redesigning the Free Textbooks and implementing pedagogical materials linked to the "Nueva Escuela Mexicana" (New Mexican School) program. His exit from the SEP earlier this year followed a public dispute with educational authorities concerning administrative changes within the department. At that time, Arriaga occupied offices within the Secretariat for several days, demanding that his labor rights be respected.

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If anyone is looking for a house in Juarez, I am practically giving away the assets I built as a teacher.