Oaxaca, Mexico, Faces Police Militarization as Governor Acts to Preempt Education Protests
Oaxaca, Mexico, Faces Police Militarization as Governor Acts to Preempt Education Protests
Written by Renata Bessi and Santiago Navarro F.
Thursday, 20 August 2015 14:29
Source: Truthout
Thousands of federal and state police troops were dispatched in mid-July to the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico to guard strategic buildings, patrol the skies and ensure that protesters cannot take over local radio stations.
The aim of this heightened police militarization? To prevent protesting teachers from exerting pressure on the administration of Gabino Cué Monteagudo, the current governor of Oaxaca, in their efforts to resist nationally imposed education reforms.
Protesting teachers have argued that the reforms, which were approved in 2013 by the Federal Congress and are being implemented in every state in Mexico, seek to reframe education as a private service, replacing current teachers with new workers who work on contract and have no labor rights.
"This is not an education reform as much as it is a labor reform; what they want is for the state to stop offering free and public education," said Dolores Villalobos, a teacher and member of the Section 22 teacher's union, which is part of the National Organization of Education Workers (CNTE).
More:
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/5437-oaxaca-mexico-faces-police-militarization-as-governor-acts-to-preempt-education-protests