Mexico Urges Teachers to Dialogue After Violent Protests at Education Ministry

Mexico's Interior Secretary, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, has called for reflection and dialogue among teachers from the National Union of Education Workers (CNTE) following violent protests and the occupation of the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) headquarters. The secretary emphasized the government's respect for the movement and its conviction that dialogue is the sole path to lasting solutions.

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We express respect for your movement. And our conviction that dialogue is the only route to build lasting solutions (...) Therefore, we call on your teaching movement, on social organizations, to reflect on this context and on the shared responsibility we have to build solutions through dialogue.

Rodríguez's statement came after a group of alleged CNTE teachers forcibly entered the SEP facilities in Mexico City. This action represents an escalation of weeks-long protests demanding salary improvements. The demonstrators have even threatened to boycott the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to begin in Mexico City on June 11.

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The clear instruction we received from the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, is to address the demonstrators' proposals, so we reiterate that the authorities have 'the doors open to dialogue'.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has instructed authorities to address the protesters' concerns, and Rodríguez reiterated that the government's doors remain open for dialogue. She affirmed the administration's commitment to social movements and educators, grounded in "truth, justice, and reparation." Rodríguez stressed that justice is essential for building peace and strengthening democracy.

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We will continue to do so with all conviction because we are convinced that justice is an indispensable condition for building peace and strengthening our democracy.

However, the secretary noted that some demands cannot be met due to budget limitations, not a lack of willingness. She also called for maintaining open communication channels and ensuring that legitimate expressions of demands do not unnecessarily disrupt the daily lives of citizens. Earlier, protesters, some with faces covered, used sledgehammers to damage security booths and entrances at the SEP building, spray-painting slogans and posting banners. Security personnel inside reportedly used fire extinguisher powder to repel the intruders, and two police officers required medical attention for minor injuries and fainting spells.

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That the right of millions of people who transit our cities daily can coexist and that we can find mechanisms that allow the legitimate expression of the demands of this movement without unnecessarily affecting the daily lives of the population.