Myriad Mexico City welcomes the World Cup

MEXICO CITY (CN) – One of Mexico’s three FIFA World Cup host cities kicked off celebrations on Thursday, a day that appeared on the calendar for many because of demands for government accountability for an ongoing crisis of mass disappearances, drug violence, over-tourism and what unionized teachers see as an unfair pension plan.

Mexico City has had a particularly tragic past when hosting sporting events around the world, as evidenced by the 1968 Tlatelolco student massacre during Mexico’s Dirty War, when an as yet unconfirmed number of students were violently suppressed by the Institutional Revolutionary Party while protesting the Olympics. The death toll is estimated to be over 400.

Thousands of teachers from the National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE) marched on Thursday down Tlalpan Avenue, which leads to Estadio Azteca, completely blocking vehicular access to the stadium during the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup.

Hundreds of mothers from multiple research groups also marched down Tlalpan, demanding answers and asking who benefits from the World Cup.

“Mexico: the greatest in extinction,” they chanted, marching down the street in the morning toward the stadium before facing a massive police presence of hundreds of city officers who blocked their path with horse trailers and riot shields.

“My son has been missing since 2024. His name is José Alberto Gómez García. He went out to play soccer and never came back. I’m here because the authorities are not doing anything, because our president is not listening to us. She says the numbers are made up and that’s not true. That’s why I’m listening to us Agreement here. Garcia.

Currently, Mexico faces a cRISIS of at least 133,000 people disappeared and more than 72,000 people unidentified, which the United Nations has asked the Mexican government to deal with, but has fallen into deaf ears by the Sheinbaum administration.

“Citizens, a Mexico against the pocket of the workers are the ones we are fighting because they are the ones who imposed nineteen years ago the pension reform, the reform of the ISSSTE law. Mexico, as a country that complies with international agreements with international financial organizations, is precisely the one that carries out such reforms against the workers,” a march from ClalNTE street was heard.

The organizer was referring to the law of the Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers, passed in 2007 under the administration of former president Felipe Calderón. He drastically changed the pensions of Mexico’s state workers from a collective-based system to an individual system managed by private pension fund managers called AFOREs, which have slashed teacher pensions. The law raised their retirement age and required years of service before retirement.

On a bridge overlooking the teachers’ march, not everyone agreed.

Two young women wearing Mexico’s national team jerseys yelled at the teachers from above, venting their frustration, calling the marchers sellouts and liars. They quickly descended the bridge tunnel as hundreds of teachers began to scream in frustration.

“I have a right to express myself as they do, don’t I?” said one of the women who did not want to be named.

The CNTE, with more than a week of marches and blockades in downtown Mexico City, has caused frustration with many Mexico City residents, including downtown small business owners who organized their own. blockade on Tuesday in protest of the CNTE blockade.

A 30-minute taxi ride from the police shields and freshly painted purple pedestrian bridges of Tlalpan Street is Plaza Garibaldi, the historic square where Mariachis come to live or die. In a still gritty part of the city center, it’s packed with cantinas and pulquerias.

On Thursday, it has the look of a FIFA Fan Fest, most of the hundreds of attendees wearing Mexico’s green jerseys, and many have been drinking Mexican national beer since morning in anticipation of what the city is about: Mexico vs. South Africa.

“We came here to pump our energy, because football for us is the real energy,” said Alex Fox in Plaza Garibaldi. He said he went to the Zócalo, Mexico’s largest public square and where the Presidential Palace is. “It’s better here anyway. We came to watch the game.”

Maribel Guevara, a vendor selling Mexican flags also came from the Zócalo.

“Well, it’s good here, we came from the Zócalo, but we heard they had screens here too, so we came here. It’s been better than the Zócalo, lots of people there,” she said.

Selwyn Hocaey and Haidee Williams, from Cape Town, South Africa said they love Mexico.

“We absolutely love everything about this place, from the food to the people, it’s been really amazing,” Hocaey said. “We want to win of course. But we hope Mexico goes all the way.”

Another attendee, Diego Aguillón was with his friends after half-time after the screen in the fan zone suffered a technical malfunction. For 10 minutes after Mexico made it 2-0 against their South African opponents, the massive screen broke from the cheers somewhere between disappointment and joy.

Some joked about their frustration with Mayor Clara Brugada, capitalizing on the current political climate of who’s to blame.

“They’re definitely going to win. Maybe it would be better if they scored three goals, but – they’re going to win,” Aguillón said.

They won, 2-0.

As if someone had flipped a switch, it started raining like it was June in this town. But fans in Plaza Garibaldi partied hard under a gazebo in the middle of the square, sipping tequila, singing, laughing and welcoming everyone around with hugs or a beer – including Germans, South Africans, English and Americans.

Maggie Herrera was in Mexico City in 1986, the last time Mexico City hosted the World Cup and best known for Maradona’s “Hand of God”.

“I was just a kid then, and it was great then and it’s even better now. Happy to be alive and in Mexico,” Herrera said.

“Olé, Olé, Olé,” chanted the crowd as the rain poured down.

And in the next game, the next day.