Bangkok, Nov 24 (EFE). - The president and co-owner of Miss Universe, Raúl Rocha, denied this Monday the fraud accusations that have circulated regarding the victory of Mexican Fátima Bosch in the beauty pageant, and announced legal actions against media outlets that have disseminated information he considers defamatory.
Through Instagram, the Mexican posted a statement explaining his business dealings with his country's state-owned oil company, Pemex, a link that has fueled accusations of supposed fraud given that the father of the new Miss Universe, Bernardo Bosch Hernández, is part of the energy company's board of directors.
Rocha stated that his company, Soluciones Gasíferas del Sur, signed an 11-month contract with Pemex in February 2023 for a value close to 40 million dollars, after winning a bid called by the Exploration and Production area, in which Bosch Hernández served as executive coordinator at the time.
The credibility of the competition's result had already been questioned on Tuesday, when Franco-Lebanese pianist Omar Harfouch announced his resignation as a judge on the show, citing a lack of transparency and a supposed "secret vote" in which the 30 finalists were chosen without jury evaluation.
The artist also announced his intention to sue the MUO for alleged crimes such as abuse of power, corruption, deceit, breach of contract, and conflict of interest, and has dubbed Bosch a "fake Miss Universe."
Harfouch claims that in an interview recorded 24 hours before the coronation and scheduled to be aired next year, he stated that Mexico would be the winner because Rocha has "business dealings" with Bosch's father.
Rocha, for his part, stated that he met the Bosch family in September 2025 and that he acquired 50% of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) in January 2024, almost a year after the contract with Pemex was signed. Pemex, in turn, issued a statement on Sunday saying it "has no interference with the Miss Universe international pageant's executives and that the congratulation to Fátima Bosch Fernández (via social media) was made within the framework of popular enthusiasm for her victory."
"Therefore, it is completely false and impossible for there to be a relationship between the awarding of this contract and the victory of said contestant," crowned on Friday in Bangkok.
"Unfortunately, there are media outlets that seek to generate political controversy and obtain benefits in an opportunistic and individualistic manner by manipulating information, disseminating inaccurate data to take advantage of the MUO's success," Rocha's statement continues.
For the above, he announced that "the corresponding legal actions will be initiated against the media that have spread false statements," without specifying which ones, adding to other possible lawsuits announced by the entrepreneur in the last three weeks, when the beauty pageant was fraught with controversies.
