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Miss Universe CEO Mario Búcaro has stepped down — a month after taking on the role.
The Miss Universe Pageant announced on Friday, Dec. 12, that Búcaro, 48, “concluded his tenure” as CEO of the organization, a position which he assumed in November after Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip stepped down as CEO in June.
In a statement, Búcaro said, “Those who know me and have worked with me understand that I have always conducted myself with the highest ethical standards, and that in every responsibility I have assumed, I have sought to leave a positive legacy with every person with whom I have collaborated.”
Búcaro added that his time within the Miss Universe organization “represented an invaluable period of learning, during which I had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary women, exceptional professionals, and a global community that genuinely believes in the empowerment of women.”
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The Miss Universe pageant did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the announcement.
This comes after the numerous controversies that have plagued the latest Miss Universe competition, which he had helped execute. This included a heated confrontation on Nov. 4 between pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil and Fátima Bosch, who represented Mexico and was ultimately crowned the pageant’s winner, which went viral.
Following the incident, Miss Universe owner Raul Rocha announced multiple sanctions against Itsaragrisil, including his restriction from the pageant. However, Former Miss Massachusetts USA winner Melissa Sapini, who represented Haiti at Miss Universe 2025 claimed to PEOPLE in late November that contestants regularly saw the pageant executive in the following weeks.
She also claimed that there were several “red flags” ahead of the pageant including contestants getting sick due to the flu and food poisoning, which she alleged some contestants got from the “box lunches” they gave out.
The pageant told PEOPLE in response to her claims that “a number of contestants” did not submit “their health conditions and dietary restrictions in advance,” which made it “impossible for us to prepare special meals in time.”
A judge also resigned ahead of the pageant, claiming that the organization formed an “impromptu jury” to select finalists, and a Miss Universe contestant alleged that the Top 30 in the competition was chosen before the contestants took the stage.
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The Miss Universe pageant issued a statement denying both claims, saying “that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists, and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols.”
Búcaro took the role over from previous CEO Jakrajutatip, who was issued an arrest warrant in late November for alleged financial fraud at her company, JKN Global Group, which owns the Miss Universe pageant.
