The president and co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú, has categorically denied the fraud allegations circulating following the victory of his compatriot Fátima Bosch and announced he will initiate legal action against media outlets that have disseminated defamatory information. According to information obtained by the Noticias Argentinas news agency, the fraud claims were fueled by a supposed conflict of interest: Rocha owns a firm that had a contract with the Mexican state oil company Pemex, where the new Miss Universe's father, Bernardo Bosch Hernández, is a high-ranking executive. Rocha took to social media to debunk the connection, assuring that his contract with Pemex was signed in February 2023, almost a year before acquiring the 50% stake in the MUO, and that he met the Bosch family in September 2025. "It is completely false and impossible that there is a relationship between the awarding of this contract and the triumph of said contestant," he stated. Bosch's victory sparked a wave of criticism that led to the resignation of judge Omar Harfouch, who cited a lack of transparency and suggested manipulation in the selection of finalists, describing Bosch as a "fake Miss Universe." Additionally, Miss Ivory Coast (Olivia Yacé) resigned from her continental title, citing a desire to remain true to her values of "respect and dignity." Despite the scandal, President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum dismissed the criticism as "ridiculous," though she highlighted Bosch's merit for speaking out against a Thai executive of the organization days before the final.
