Mexico’s Secretary of Education, Mario Delgado, confirmed the dismissal of Marx Arriaga Navarro, Director General of Educational Materials, on Friday, February 13, 2026. The move comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding the ideological direction of novel textbooks and the implementation of the “Nueva Escuela Mexicana” (New Mexican School) educational model. The dismissal underscores growing tensions within the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Arriaga Navarro, who spearheaded the development of the new educational materials for 23.3 million students, had recently clashed with superiors and the president over his public statements. Following his termination, he called on teachers to mobilize and “refound” the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP), according to reports.
Arriaga Navarro alleged that the SEP is attempting to privatize education and proposed the creation of committees to defend the educational strategy established under the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. President Sheinbaum has refuted those claims.
The former official, appointed during the previous administration, accused the SEP of attempting to illegally remove him from his position and violating his labor rights, allegations the department has rejected. In a post on X, Arriaga Navarro wrote, “¡A golpes no se mata la raíz!” (“You can’t kill the root with violence!”), claiming the SEP used force against him. He maintained in a press conference that his dismissal stemmed from his defense of the Nueva Escuela Mexicana and the SEP’s efforts to alter its content.
However, the SEP issued a statement explaining the decision was based on the elimination of the Directorate of Educational Materials. “I was already anticipating this,” Arriaga Navarro told the press. “First they asked to change the teachers’ books, then the primary school books, and finally the preschool books. They want to change all the books.” He also disputed the validity of his dismissal, stating he had not received official notification.
Videos circulating on social media show Arriaga Navarro confronting security personnel, urging them to remove him from the premises. “Don’t be afraid, officers, I’m a supporter of López Obrador,” he is heard saying in the video. “It’s simple, you just have to get me out of the institution, follow orders.” He then offered himself up for arrest, stating, “Arrest me for the crime of making textbooks.”
Two uniformed officers escorted Arriaga Navarro to his former office after he was informed of his removal. Shortly after, an unidentified individual requested the return of his assigned vehicle and parking pass. Arriaga Navarro responded, “We weren’t even given travel expenses. What vehicle?” He then demanded to know who authorized his dismissal. “Record this for history, so it’s known that you were one of those who fired the person who designed the textbooks in this country during the López Obrador administration. Who gave the order? Was it Mario Delgado or Noemí Juárez [Undersecretary of Basic Education]?”
Arriaga Navarro, who has a relatively short career in public service, was initially promoted by Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, the wife of López Obrador, who supported his path to earning a doctorate in Humanities. He previously served as Director General of Libraries in the Secretariat of Culture in 2019 before taking the helm of the Directorate of Educational Materials. From that position, he outlined the curriculum for the Nueva Escuela Mexicana and oversaw the editing of educational materials.
The new textbooks sparked significant controversy, drawing criticism for their perceived ideological bias. Opposition-governed states announced they would not distribute the volumes in their schools. Arriaga Navarro stated on Friday that his dismissal was a result of his defense of the educational model implemented by López Obrador and accused the SEP of unfair dismissal and labor violations.
