Italy’s repechage to World Cup, Mexico in chaos: violence and threats

The days leading up to the start of the World Cup to be held between the United States, Mexico, and Canada are anything but quiet.

In addition to the known problems with the Iranian national team, the organization and FIFA now have to deal with protests in Mexico City.

In the last few hours, thousands of teachers have taken to the streets to demand better salary conditions from the government. The demonstration, called by the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE), has resulted in serious acts of violence that have even involved some World Cup symbols.

Many statues installed in recent days that were supposed to welcome the teams participating in the competition have been vandalized, and CNTE Section 9 Secretary General Pedro Hernández Morales has moved on to threats: “An event like ours comes much before a little distraction and entertainment. If there is no solution, the ball will not roll.”

Fueling the tension is also the government’s decision to bring forward the closure of schools from July 15 to June 11 in order to clear the cities and manage the influx of fans coming to Mexico. According to many teachers, economic interest was put before the right to study.