CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — The Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE) plans a march toward Estadio Azteca on Thursday, the day of the 2026 World Cup opening match, while President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that external groups are attempting to provoke authorities to generate international headlines of state repression. The union delivered a formal petition to the government on May 1, demanding education and pension reforms.

The petition calls for the repeal of the 2007 law governing the Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, which governs pensions. The CNTE also seeks the replacement of individual teacher pension accounts with a government-funded solidarity pension system. Additionally, the union demands the repeal of educational reforms passed during the administrations of Enrique Peña Nieto and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, including a 2013 reform establishing mandatory teacher evaluations. The union's demands also include a 100 percent salary increase for its members and the reinstatement of teachers previously dismissed from their positions.

President Sheinbaum stated that federal budget constraints prevent the government from fulfilling all union demands. She said there are demands that can be met and others for which the budget is insufficient, adding that efforts are made to improve conditions for teachers within existing resources. On June 4, the government proposed strengthening the PENSIONISSSTE agency and creating a public pension insurer, which the union leadership rejected.

President Sheinbaum also alleged that groups are attempting to provoke a reaction from authorities. "Hay grupos que nos quieren provocar, y no necesariamente son de maestros. O sea, que lo que buscan es que haya represión, así lo digo claramente. Lo que están buscando es que antes de la inauguración del Mundial la nota internacional sea: 'el Gobierno de México reprime a maestros', eso es lo que están buscando, pero eso no lo van a tener," Sheinbaum said. She added that violent confrontations during protests are unexplainable and viewed by her administration as provocations. "No se explican estas manifestaciones y menos las que tienen un carácter violento. Y esto es para el pueblo de México y para el mundo. Nosotros lo vemos como una provocación," she said. The President also stated that repealing the 2007 pension law would cost 20 percent of Mexico's gross domestic product. "Hemos explicado que la derogación de la ley del 2007 representa el 20% del PIB mexicano y que además ya está en cuentas individualizadas, que es muy complejo derogar esa ley," she said.

Union section leader Pedro Hernández said the upcoming march would involve banners, canvases, and voices. "Vamos a manifestarnos, como lo hemos hecho, con nuestras pancartas, nuestras lonas, nuestra voz, hasta donde se escuche," Hernández said. He stated that if they are allowed to advance and appear in front of the stadium entrance, they will do so, but will not expose anyone if they are not permitted. "Si nos permiten avanzar y mostrarnos frente a la entrada del estadio, pues lo haremos. Si no nos lo permiten, tampoco vamos a exponer a nadie," he said. Hundreds of union members arrived in Ciudad de México starting Monday to reinforce a protest encampment in the city center. President Sheinbaum issued a decree on Tuesday suspending operations at federal offices for Thursday. The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México announced on Monday that it would also suspend academic and administrative operations on Thursday. Sheinbaum stated she would monitor security developments before deciding whether to attend the World Cup Fan Fest in the city center. "Vamos a ver cómo se desarrolla lo que está ocurriendo con los maestros y algunos otros grupos, porque tengo que estar atenta a eso, evidentemente. Entonces, hay un equipo que está atento permanentemente a eso. Pero vamos a ver cómo se desarrolla," she said.