Maria Rubio, Former DIF Quintana Roo President, Dies at 73

Cancun, Quintana Roo — Maria Rubio, who served as honorary president of the DIF Quintana Roo social welfare system during the administration of former Governor Joaquin Hendricks Diaz, has died at age 73, her family announced Thursday.

Rubio died after battling an illness with strength and dignity, surrounded by loved ones, according to a family statement.

A trained military nurse specializing in cardiology and intensive care, Rubio dedicated much of her life to public service. She led the state DIF from 1999 to 2005, focusing on vulnerable populations, particularly children and adolescents.

Among her key initiatives was the campaign “Con las niñas y los niños no se vale” (roughly, “Don’t mess with children”), which later gained national attention with support from the then-Attorney General’s Office.

Family and friends remember her as a strong-willed woman committed to social causes and deeply devoted to her family.

She is survived by her children Edgar and Leslie, and nine grandchildren.

The family thanked the public for expressions of solidarity and said funeral arrangements would be announced later.