BANGKOK Thailand The president of the Miss Universe Organization Raul Rocha is facing mounting criticism after suggesting that Côte d’Ivoire’s Olivia Yacé did not win the global competition because her country’s passport offers limited visa free travel.
Rocha made the remark during an interview with Mexican journalist Adela Micha where he implied that a contestant’s ability to travel freely influences the final decision.
“There are many things that are evaluated” Rocha said in Spanish according to an English translation shared on Instagram by the account missuupdates. “The job is one year of Miss Universe. One hundred seventy five countries ask for a visa for Côte d’Ivoire.”
“Well then she is going to be Miss Universe who spent a whole year in an apartment” he continued. “Of course we want her to be in the universe.”
Rocha added that organizers aim to crown a contestant “with the most travel and the most contacts with people in the world.”
His comments triggered immediate backlash online where critics accused him of implying that the strength of a contestant’s passport could hinder her chances of winning. Many users noted that Yacé reportedly holds dual citizenship including an American passport and is the daughter of a diplomat. She has not publicly addressed those claims.
According to the Henley Passport Index Côte d’Ivoire’s passport ranks 83rd and allows visa free entry to 58 countries. A United States passport ranks 11th with visa free access to 180 countries.
Yacé who was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania resigned her title on November 23 just two days after being named fourth runner up.
“I witnessed firsthand that I was capable of accomplishing great things despite adversity” she wrote in a statement posted online. “But to continue on this path I must remain true to my values respect dignity excellence and equal opportunity the strongest pillars that guide me.”
Her departure came shortly after Miss Universe Estonia Brigitta Schaback also gave up her crown saying her “values and work ethic” did not align with those of national director Natalie Korneitsik.
This year’s Miss Universe competition held November 21 in Bangkok has been marked by controversy. Mexico’s Fatima Bosch won the title despite earlier storming out of an event after Thai organizer Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly admonished her calling her “dumb” in front of competitors.
Following Bosch’s win two judges resigned. One of them Omar Harfouch alleged the existence of an “impromptu jury” that he claimed selected 30 finalists without the involvement of the official judging panel.
“An impromptu jury has been formed to select 30 finalists from among the 136 participating countries without the presence of any of the real members of the jury including me” Harfouch wrote on social media. He alleged that some members of the unofficial group had “significant potential conflicts of interest.”
Miss Universe organizers denied the allegations saying “no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists.”
The organization has been dogged by similar accusations in recent years. In 2023 CEO Anne Jakrajutatip was accused of engineering a win for R’Bonney Gabriel of the United States claims the organization called “false” and “absurd.”
Bosch’s victory sparked mixed reactions online. While Mexican fans celebrated others speculated that the win may have been intended to compensate for what they described as her earlier mistreatment.
“The world needs to see this because we are empowered women and this is a platform for our voice” Bosch said after the confrontation earlier in the month.
The controversy comes as Miss Universe attempts to expand its global influence amid growing scrutiny over transparency and fairness in international pageants.
