DistantNews
Support us
Zacatecas CNTE Section Announces 'Tactical Retreat' from Protests
🇲🇽 Mexico /Culture & Society

Zacatecas CNTE Section Announces 'Tactical Retreat' from Protests

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The CNTE's Section 34 in Zacatecas announced a "tactical retreat" from its protests after weeks of mobilization.
  • The union stated this pause is to strengthen organization, inform members, evaluate results, and prepare for future actions.
  • A state assembly will be convened on Monday to discuss the outcomes of the protests and the next steps.

The Section 34 of the CNTE teachers' union in Zacatecas has announced a "tactical retreat" from its ongoing protests, following weeks of intensive mobilization. The union leadership clarified that this move does not signify a surrender or defeat but is intended to regroup, strengthen its organization within the regions, update its members, assess achievements, and strategize for future actions.

after weeks of intense mobilization, marches, sit-ins, brigades, assemblies and protest actions, a tactical retreat of this phase of the day of struggle has been determined

— CNTE Section 34 leadershipAnnouncing the decision to pause protests.

Filiberto Frausto Orozco, the general secretary of Section 34, stated that teachers are returning to their communities with pride, having fulfilled their duty to speak out against the violation of their rights. A communiqué issued on Saturday revealed that a consultation within Zacatecas showed 59.5% of members favored continuing the national strike and reinforcing the protest camp in Mexico City, while 40.5% voted for a pause to allow for assessment and reorganization.

This decision to pause the national strike aligns with a majority agreement reached at the National Representative Assembly (ANR) of the CNTE sections. The union acknowledged that some contingents, particularly those with a larger presence in the capital, were experiencing fatigue. In Zacatecas, Section 34 will hold a state assembly on Monday, gathering general secretaries from delegations and work centers to provide a detailed report on the struggles undertaken.

with our heads held high, because we fulfilled the historic duty to raise our voices when our rights were violated

— Filiberto Frausto OrozcoDescribing the teachers' sentiment upon returning to their communities.

The union leadership emphasized that their efforts have not been in vain, as the national mobilization successfully brought the demand for the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law back into public debate. They also highlighted that the protests exposed the hardships faced by education workers, compelling the government to publicly acknowledge issues previously ignored. The CNTE views social struggle as a battle of resistance, organization, and force accumulation, not a sprint, and lamented what they described as "ferocious and systematic attacks" aimed at creating division.

the social struggle is not a sprint, but a battle of resistance, organization and accumulation of forces

— CNTE Section 34 leadershipExplaining their long-term strategy for social movements.
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.

More Stories

From Our Blog