Marx Arriaga labels the referring to the ex-president of INE in the Free Textbooks as a "cultural clash"
Marx Arriaga, head of the General Directorate of Educational Materials of the Public Education Secretariat (SEP), recently spoke about the controversial Free Textbooks on the opinion program "Los periodistas", broadcast on Canal Once. The program was hosted by Alejandro Páez Varela and Álvaro Delgado.
During the program, Arriaga discussed the Free Textbook "Community Projects" for sixth grade (2023-2024 / 2024-2025). He stated that the textbook, which is associated with the revolution of consciousness, seeks equality, justice, and aims to observe structural inequalities in communities. However, Arriaga also asserted that the textbook was previously used for social engineering throughout the 20th century and proposes a single type of citizenship.
Arriaga mentioned Lorenzo Córdova, former president of the National Electoral Institute (INE), for expressions he made in an audio from 2015 towards members of indigenous peoples. Córdova obtained an injunction to have his name removed from the textbook, but Arriaga said that the topic may continue to be discussed in future editions.
The conversation during the program also included criticism of businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego. Arriaga criticized Salinas Pliego for discussing communism on his tweets. Arriaga suggested that it may be difficult to differentiate between the left and right stances in the textbook.
Arriaga expressed the need for a debate on what it means to be left-wing. He did not make an official statement regarding the current situation with the textbook, nor did he address the controversy over the Free Textbooks that involves an injunction filed by the former INE president.
Thousands of teachers were involved in the creation of the Free Textbooks. Despite this, critics claim that public officials are indoctrinating the country through the Free Textbooks. However, Arriaga stated that the textbook is no longer used as a tool for social re-engineering, but instead seeks to promote equality and justice.
Despite extensive searches, there are no search results directly addressing any controversy about Arriaga's comments on social engineering in Mexican textbooks. If additional context or sources become available, further analysis can be conducted.
- The Free Textbook "Community Projects" for sixth grade, associated with the revolution of consciousness, aims to discuss structural inequalities in communities, seeking equality and justice, yet, it has been criticized for proposing a single type of citizenship and potentially being used for social engineering.
- On the opinion program "Los periodistas," Arriaga also touched upon the topic of politics, commenting on businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego's statements supporting communism on his tweets, adding that it may be challenging to differentiate between left and right stances in the textbook.
