The Governor of Puerto Rico, Jennifer González, insists that the Miss Universe pageant will take place on the island in 2026, amidst the ongoing turmoil. She expressed confidence that the situation with the executives can be resolved with the necessary guarantees to hold an event of this magnitude, as it will mobilize many participants. The Miss Universe organization published a statement on January 2nd, describing reports of a change in ownership or the pageant being for sale as 'false'. According to González, the island has already invested $3 million of the total $9 million required to host the event, which commemorates its 75th anniversary this year. The agreement was announced in September 2025, two months before the scandals erupted at Miss Universe. In addition to the allegations of bribes for the election of Fatima Bosch, the co-owners of the organization, Raúl Rocha and Anne Jakrajutatip, currently face arrest warrants for alleged criminal offenses. This would be the fourth time the pageant is held on the island; previous ones were in 1972, 2001, and 2002. The governor did not go into detail but assured that 'there are some elements and the Tourism Company has been in conversation with the corporation that manages the pageant'.
