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Mexico president: Insufficient funds for teachers' union demands, calls for peace
🇲🇽 Mexico /Elections & Politics

Mexico president: Insufficient funds for teachers' union demands, calls for peace

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that there are insufficient funds to meet the demands of the CNTE teachers' union.
  • She emphasized that state governments also lack the resources to fulfill the union's requests.
  • Sheinbaum called for peaceful mobilization and dialogue, while criticizing recent violent acts associated with the protests.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has acknowledged that Mexico lacks sufficient state resources to meet the demands of the National Union of Education Workers (CNTE), which initiated a national strike on June 1. She reiterated that while solidarity pension mechanisms like PENSIONISSSTE will be strengthened, the government cannot revert to previous pension schemes due to insufficient funds and individualized accounts.

We are going to continue strengthening these solidarity mechanisms like the strengthening of PENSIONISSSTE. But the other scheme, there are not enough resources from the Mexican State to be able to return to a situation like the previous one, and besides, the accounts are already individualized.

— Claudia SheinbaumExplaining the government's position on pension reform and resource limitations.

"The other scheme, there are not enough resources from the Mexican State to be able to return to a situation like the previous one, and besides, the accounts are already individualized," Sheinbaum stated during a press conference on June 9. She noted that teachers currently retire with an average of 17,000 pesos per month, but recognized that state governments also lack the necessary funds to satisfy the union's claims.

Sheinbaum expressed concern over the violent acts accompanying the protests, questioning the involvement of individuals who are not teachers. "The states also do not have sufficient resources to... so rather it is being seen how the states' debts are resolved. Of course, progress has been made, and there is dialogue to continue advancing, but what is not explained are these violent acts and many who are not teachers either," she said.

The states also do not have sufficient resources to... so rather it is being seen how the states' debts are resolved. Of course, progress has been made, and there is dialogue to continue advancing, but what is not explained are these violent acts and many who are not teachers either.

— Claudia SheinbaumAddressing the financial constraints of state governments and condemning protest violence.

Addressing the possibility of meeting with union representatives, Sheinbaum indicated that while dialogue is open, she disagrees with some factions. She urged peaceful mobilization and adherence to the guidance of the Ministry of the Interior, the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP), and the Institute of Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE). Federal Legal Counsel Luisa María Alcalde Luján was also present, explaining reforms related to pensions and the welfare fund, contrasting current systems with those from previous administrations.

The secretary of the interior has my full representation, all, all, all, all. You do not need to meet with the president, the secretary of Education has my representation, Martí (Batres) is the director of ISSSTE.

— Claudia SheinbaumDelegating authority for negotiations with the teachers' union.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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