Mario Delgado, head of the SEP, stated there was an agreement for Marx Arriaga to resign as director of Educational Materials before February 15, though he rejected an offer to represent Mexico abroad. Claudia Sheinbaum assured that the New Mexican School and textbooks will not change, despite the conflict. Arriaga denounces an eviction attempt and defends educational principles.
On Friday, February 13, 2026, Marx Arriaga, director general of Educational Materials at the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP), faced an attempt to notify a change in his position, which he describes as a dismissal without an official document. In a press conference at 5:00 p.m., Arriaga demanded a legal dismissal notice in accordance with labor laws and stated: “Until they deliver a document requesting my dismissal, in accordance with current labor laws, I remain in the position.” He emphasized that he is not clinging to the post but to the principles of the New Mexican School (NEM), defending the 107 textbooks designed during his tenure.
Mario Delgado, Secretary of Public Education, revealed in Tlaxcala, after inaugurating the expansion of the National Baccalaureate, that there was a prior agreement for Arriaga's resignation before Sunday, February 15. Delgado offered Arriaga to represent Mexico in a Latin American country, a proposal rejected. He announced an investigation into the Friday notification, described as “poorly handled” for involving security personnel. The SEP denied any eviction, explaining it was a diligence to change the position to free designation modality starting February 15, with a new appointment on February 16, 2026.
Arriaga denounced constant pressure to modify the books, coming from his superior, Noemí Juárez Pérez, Undersecretary of Basic Education, without academic justification. On Saturday, February 14, from his office on Avenida Universidad, he called for a “Protest with Proposal” via social media, stating: “Either we fight together or they will defeat us separately!” A video showed police elements attempting to evict him.
At the same event in San Pablo del Monte, Tlaxcala, President Claudia Sheinbaum reaffirmed that the NEM and textbooks “will not change,” though they will incorporate “women in history.” She announced the goal of 150,000 new spaces in the National Baccalaureate by 2026, the Margarita Maza Cyberbaccalaureate model, and a gradual reduction in the number of subjects. Governor Lorena Cuéllar Cisneros highlighted Tlaxcala's progress with 92% educational coverage.
