Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education announced the appointment of Nadia López García as the new Director-General of Educational Materials on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The move comes as her predecessor, Marx Arriaga Navarro, remains at the agency’s headquarters, disputing his removal from the position.
Secretary Mario Delgado Carrillo announced López García’s appointment on his X account shortly after 2 p.m. Local time. López García previously served as the national coordinator of Literature at the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (Inbal).
López García, originally from Oaxaca, is a speaker of the Mixtec language (ñuu savi). She holds a degree in pedagogy from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), with a specialization in educational policy, materials, communication, and intercultural education.
Earlier Tuesday, Arriaga circulated a 13-point document outlining issues to be discussed with members of groups calling themselves the Committees for the Defense of the New Mexican School, an organization he founded. The document detailed his intention to remain at the office until Wednesday, February 18, 2026, and to report what he characterized as workplace violence to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare.
During a broadcast from the SEP headquarters, where staff were observed removing boxes and books from offices occupied since 2021, Arriaga reiterated that he had not received formal notification of his dismissal and therefore would not be leaving the agency. He also rejected statements made by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, who described the leadership change as a boost for the New Mexican School initiative.
Discussions were ongoing at the time of publication. The change in leadership underscores the government’s commitment to educational reform.
In a statement, the SEP acknowledged and thanked Arriaga for his work as Director-General of Educational Materials but did not comment on his continued presence at the agency.
The secretariat emphasized that López García intends to focus her efforts on strengthening educational content aligned with the pillars of the New Mexican School: a humanist, inclusive, intercultural, and gender-sensitive approach. Delgado Carrillo stated that a key objective of her tenure will be to recognize the contributions of women throughout history, as requested by President Sheinbaum Pardo.
