Builders confront "Huacho" Díaz: They accuse him of favoritism

Barely into his term, the governor of Yucatán, Joaquín "Huacho" Díaz Mena, faced his first political crisis. A group of construction entrepreneurs publicly confronted him, accusing him of allocating public works to a small, favored circle.

MÉRIDA, YUC.- The "honeymoon" period for the new Yucatán government appears to have abruptly ended. Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena, of Morena, was the target of a resounding and public protest by a group of construction industry leaders, who accuse him of favoritism and marginalizing local companies in the awarding of public works contracts.

The confrontation occurred during a public event, the Engineer's Day race, where the construction workers took advantage of the president's presence to directly criticize him. This act marks the first visible rift between the new state administration and one of Yucatán's most influential economic sectors.

The core of the business leaders' complaint is the alleged discretionary allocation of public works contracts to a select group of individuals. The protesters pointed directly to an individual named Mario Millet Encalada as the alleged leader of this circle favored by the new government.

According to protesters, this practice is sidelining hundreds of Yucatecan construction companies that depend on government contracts for their livelihood, creating a climate of uncertainty and discontent in the sector.

> "Builders criticized the governor for the lack of public works, as they have been committed and assigned to a small group of people led by Mario Millet Encalada." – Incident report.

This conflict represents the first major political challenge for the Díaz Mena administration, which took office on October 1, 2024. The protest highlights the tensions inherent in the transition of power, especially when a different party, in this case Morena, assumes control of the state government.

The governor's handling of this crisis will be crucial in defining the tone of his relationship with Yucatecan business leaders during his term. His administration's response to these accusations of favoritism will be closely watched, not only by construction companies but by all economic sectors in the state.

So far, the state administration has not issued a detailed official position on the accusations. This first power struggle could be an isolated incident or the prelude to a tense relationship between the Fourth Transformation government in Yucatán and the state's traditional economic elites.