As planned, on Friday, May 15, coinciding with Teachers’ Day, members of the Indigenous Education Level of the Highlands Region of Chiapas gathered on the San Cristóbal-Tuxtla Gutiérrez toll road, at kilometer 46, where they had announced a complete blockade of the highway.
However, after holding a press conference, the teachers announced that the demonstration would be solely a political statement and that the planned road closure was suspended. Following the announcement, more than 100 teachers began to gradually leave the area.
The call to action was issued by the Chiapas State Coordinating Committee of Education Workers (CETEC), the Highlands Regional Coordinating Committee, and the Indigenous Education Level of Section 7 of the SNTE (National Union of Education Workers), who urged teachers to gather and demand the definitive repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law, as well as a dignified and equitable pension, without UMAs (Units of Measurement and Update) or Afores (Retirement Fund Administrators).
During the protest, the teachers partially blocked the road for approximately 10 minutes while the press conference was held. Afterward, traffic was fully reopened, and motorists continued traveling without major disruptions between Tuxtla Gutiérrez and San Cristóbal de las Casas.
“We are here solely to make a political statement, but our demands remain. We demand the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law. Many teachers are already 60 years old and have not yet been able to retire,” representatives of the movement stated.
The protesters alleged that some teachers did not attend the demonstration because, supposedly, education authorities summoned teachers with 25 and 30 years of service to receive official recognition, a situation that, they claimed, affected participation in the protest.
They also reiterated that the teachers’ demands include better retirement conditions and the rejection of the pension system based on UMAs (Units of Measurement and Update) and Afores (Retirement Fund Administrators).
Active and retired teachers, members of social organizations, and some parents who supported the demands of the education sector participated in the demonstration.
Finally, after the press conference concluded and the road was fully reopened, traffic resumed normally on the toll highway connecting the two cities in the Highlands and Central regions of Chiapas.
Source: oem
