Is Taking Down Mexico's Teachers' Union Head Politics or Reform? Al Jazeera
go to original March 4, 2013

The longtime leader of Mexico's powerful teachers' union has been charged with embezzling millions of dollars from the union.

Mexico arrested Elba Esther Gordillo on suspicion of embezzling $200 million of union funds and using intermediaries to move money to bank accounts in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, then back to the United States, in order to buy property in San Diego and pay for works of art and plastic surgery.

Known as La Maestra or 'The Teacher', Gordillo headed the National Union of Education Workers or SNTE, which is estimated to have 1.5 million members.

It is a significant voting bloc in Mexico and with Gordillo's backing - it helped to swing a close presidential election in Felipe Calderon's favor in 2006.

A generation of Mexican presidents have steered clear of taking on Gordillo - despite years of allegations of corruption and accusations that the union was undermining the education system.

Less than half of Mexican students complete high school, despite nearly one-fourth of the country's annual budget going to education.

Read the whole story at Al Jazeera

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