Negotiations last year between the National Assembly of Teachers and the government had not advanced and by January teachers still had no response to their demands. The government claims it has no money to meet teachers’ demands.

The teachers started their strike on the first day of classes, at the same time as peasants were demanding land that has been promised by the government and bus riders were protesting against price hikes.

Teachers blocked the main roads of Guatemala with busses, rocks, trees, and burning tires.

On January 24, in an attempt to break the strike, Minister of Education Mario Torres increased teacher salaries by US$12 a month. Teachers rejected the government move.

A week later thousands of teachers from all 22 provinces of Guatemala mobilized in a march to the National Palace. Since the protest, the Labor, Education, and Communications Ministries have sought to impose penalties on the protesting teachers.

On February 6, teachers’ representatives met with the government. When the meeting proved inconclusive, dozens of teachers occupied the Ministry of Education building for six hours. Moises Fuentes, a spokesperson for the teachers’ union, said "We want to return (to our classrooms), but we want concrete answers to our demands" first.  
 
 
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