Members of Mexico’s CNTE (National Coordinator of Education Workers) blocked vehicular access at the El Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana on Wednesday morning, launching the first day of a planned 72-hour strike over pension reform. At least 100 educators marched from the Cuauhtémoc traffic circle to the crossing, disrupting southbound traffic from San Diego during peak commute hours.
Part of a Three-Day Strike
The blockade is the opening action of a coordinated protest running March 18 through March 20. State representative Marco Antonio Pacheco Peña said organizers expect between 2,000 and 3,000 teachers, administrators, and ISSSTE (Mexico’s social security institute for government workers) personnel to participate across the three days.
Wednesday’s action targeted the Mexico-bound vehicle lanes at El Chaparral, the main San Ysidro port of entry. CNTE leaders asked cross-border travelers to use the Otay Mesa crossing as an alternative. The El Chaparral blockade was planned to last about four hours.
On Thursday, March 19, protesters plan to take over toll booths on the Playas de Tijuana highway and the Tijuana-Tecate highway. On March 20, the third day, organizers have scheduled disruptions along the Transpeninsular Highway south of the city.
What the Teachers Want
The protesters are demanding the repeal of Mexico’s 2007 ISSSTE law, which restructured pensions for government employees. Teachers and other state workers argue the law condemns them to inadequate retirement benefits. They also want recovery of Afore retirement funds and broader salary improvements.
Border blockades by CNTE teachers have become a recurring tactic in Tijuana. In June 2025, roughly 300 educators blocked El Chaparral for about two hours in a similar action. The union has used the border’s visibility to attract federal attention, because disruptions at the world’s busiest land crossing (processing over 100,000 daily crossings) create pressure that local protests cannot match.
Drivers heading from San Diego into Tijuana should expect intermittent delays through March 20 and plan alternate routes through Otay Mesa or Cross Border Xpress when possible, according to Zeta Tijuana.