Joaquín Díaz Mena, the governor of Yucatán, announced the opening of registration for the “Benito Juárez” scholarship program on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, offering financial assistance to students in the state. The program aims to support students from low-income families, enabling them to continue their education.
Díaz Mena, often referred to as “Huacho,” assumed office on October 1, 2024, as the constitutional governor of Yucatán, representing the Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (Morena) party. His path to the governorship followed a diverse career spanning education, business, and multiple levels of political office. Prior to becoming governor, Díaz Mena served as the Delegate Estatal de Programas para el Desarrollo en Yucatán from December 1, 2018, to September 25, 2023, under the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Before his state-level roles, Díaz Mena represented Yucatán in the federal legislature. He was a federal deputy for the first district of Yucatán from September 1, 2006, to August 31, 2009, and again through proportional representation from September 1, 2015, to March 1, 2018. He also served as a local deputy for the tenth district from September 1, 2004, to June 30, 2006. His initial foray into elected office came as the municipal president of San Felipe, a position he held from July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2004, originally under the banner of the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN).
Díaz Mena’s educational background includes a Licenciatura in Administración de Empresas Turísticas from the Instituto Tecnológico de Mérida, a Maestría in Administración Pública y Gobierno from the Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, and a Diplomado in Políticas Públicas from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, in coordination with the Universidad de Barcelona, Spain. He previously worked as director of the Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Yucatán between 1999 and 2001.
The “Benito Juárez” scholarship program is the latest in a series of initiatives launched by the Díaz Mena administration to address social and economic inequalities within Yucatán. Details regarding the specific eligibility criteria and application process for the scholarship were released alongside the governor’s announcement, with registration open through February 28, 2026. The state government has not yet announced the total funding allocated to the program or the anticipated number of beneficiaries.
