In a move that has reignited debate over the boundaries between political parties and organized labor in Mexico, the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) has affiliated approximately 1.25 million of its members—half its total membership—to the ruling Morena party. The announcement was made by SNTE leader Alfonso Cepeda during a public event with Morena party president Luisa Alcalde in Piedras Negras, Coahuila.
The mass affiliation was not conducted through individual registrations but rather through events coordinated by union leadership. This approach appears to contravene both the General Law of Political Parties and Morena’s own statutes, which explicitly prohibit corporate or collective affiliations. These rules require that party membership be personal, voluntary, and non-corporate.
Despite these legal constraints, both SNTE and Morena leadership maintain that the process was voluntary. Cepeda stated that the union is continuing its efforts to affiliate more members. Morena’s Secretary of Organization reported that over 11 million new affiliations have been submitted to the National Electoral Institute (INE) as part of its nationwide campaign ‘Somos Millones’.
The top-down nature of the campaign and use of union infrastructure raise concerns about undue influence and electoral fairness.
The SNTE’s contribution to this figure is significant. In February, Morena provided the union with 6,000 tablets to facilitate digital registration, further underscoring the institutional coordination behind the drive. While no formal complaints or evidence of coercion have emerged publicly, critics argue that the top-down nature of the campaign and use of union infrastructure raise concerns about undue influence and electoral fairness.
The INE is expected to review all submitted affiliations for compliance with legal standards. The outcome may determine whether these mass registrations are upheld or challenged on procedural grounds.
The episode has revived memories of Mexico’s corporatist past, particularly during the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) era, when unions were often mobilized as political instruments of the state. SNTE itself has historically played a central role in education policy and electoral politics. Its current alignment with Morena may signal a return to such dynamics under a different political banner.
For now, both SNTE and Morena insist that their actions are within legal bounds. But as electoral authorities begin their review, questions remain about how voluntary mass affiliation can be when orchestrated by union leadership rather than initiated by individual members.
