The Miss Universe pageant finally took place on Sunday, May 16 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, after a more than a year delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event was hosted by Mario Lopez and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, who won the title in 2012, and featured a special performance by Luis Fonsi.
Miss Mexico Andrea Meza, who wowed the selection community with her beauty and intellect, took home the ultimate crown this year.
Meza beat more than 70 contestants from around the globe.
During the final statement round, Miss Mexico was asked to address the topic of changing beauty standards. “We live in a society that more and more is more advanced and as we have advanced as a society, we have advanced with stereotypes,” she shared via translator. “Nowadays, beauty is not only the way we look. For me, beauty radiates not only in our spirits, but in our hearts and the way we conduct ourselves. Never permit someone to tell you that you are not valuable.”
And just minutes before, Miss Mexico also faced the final question round where she was asked to share how she would have handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I believe there is not a perfect way to handle this hard situation such as COVID-19,” she explained. “However, I believe that what I would have done was create the lockdown even before everything was that big because we lost so many lives and we cannot afford that. We have to take care of our people. That’s why I would have taken care of them since the beginning.”
