The world of beauty pageants is no stranger to drama, but the latest controversy surrounding Miss Universe 2025 has traded broken heels and stolen lipstick for allegations of high-stakes corporate corruption and state-level bribery. What should have been a celebration of grace and talent has been overshadowed by a bombshell report that connects the Mexican state oil giant, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), directly to the pageant’s ownership, suggesting the winner’s podium was determined by a business deal rather than a judges’ scorecard. Journalist Jorge García Orozco has ignited a firestorm with claims that, back in 2023, Pemex awarded a staggering 745-million-peso (approximately £30, 674, 443. 75) contract to Soluciones Gasíferas del Sur. This company is owned by none other than Raúl Rocha, the franchise owner of Miss Universe. At the exact time this lucrative deal was struck, Bernardo Bosch Hernández-the father of the newly crowned Miss Universe, Fátima Bosch-was serving as a director at Pemex Exploration and Production. This suspicious timeline has fuelled rampant speculation that Fátima Bosch’s victory was sealed well before the sash was ever placed on her shoulder. Bernardo Bosch’s Controversial Past Casts a Shadow Over Miss Universe 2025 While the 745-million-peso contract is the headline-grabber, Bernardo Bosch Hernández is no stranger to scrutiny regarding his finances. Before his daughter’s rise to the Miss Universe 2025 throne, Bosch faced serious legal challenges regarding his conduct as a public servant. According to reports, Bernardo Bosch was previously disqualified by the Ministry of Public Service (SFP) and accused before the Prosecutor’s Office of Combating Corruption. The accusations centred on an alleged illicit enrichment amounting to more than 6. 5 million pesos. The investigation, identified as FED/FECC-CDMX/0000090/2019, resulted in a severe penalty: in 2019, he was disqualified from holding any public office for 10 years. The state oil company itself acknowledged the gravity of the situation at the time. In August 2019, it was announced that Bosch had been dismissed by the company, a move confirmed in an interview by the then-director of Pemex, Octavio Romero Oropeza. Despite this, Pemex recently faced harsh criticism on social networks for publicly congratulating the daughter of its former ‘partner’ at the parastatal, a move many saw as tone-deaf given the swirling allegations of nepotism. However, the legal battles took a turn in Bosch’s favour. The Federal Court of Administrative Justice (TFJA) eventually invalidated the penalty issued by the SFP. The judicial decision to throw away the disqualification was handed down by magistrates Marisela Villanueva Olvera, Rosana Peña Adame, and Mónica Osornio Salazar, members of the Sixth Metropolitan Regional Chamber of the TFJA. They ruled in favour of the former official, stating that the affected person ‘demonstrated the absence of legal support’ in the sanction. Crucially, however, reports indicate that although the penalty was lifted, Bosch ‘never proved where the income came from’ regarding the 6. 5 million pesos in question. As a result of this opinion, his name has since been removed from the digital platform of the Registration System of Sanctioned Public Servants. Judges Resign Amid Claims of Rigging at Miss Universe 2025 The controversy is not limited to financial records; it has spilled over onto the judges’ panel itself, with key figures walking away in protest. Harfouch, who was one of the eight evaluators, dropped a bombshell by revealing that the finalists had been shortlisted by an ‘improvised jury’ before the official contest even began. This lack of transparency was the final straw for the composer. In a series of strong accusations published on his social networks, Harfouch claimed he was directly pressured by Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha, who bought the Miss Universe brand. The pianist, who also contributed to the event’s soundtrack, accused Raúl Rocha and his son, Mauricio Rocha, of coercion. He alleged that they told him he had to vote for the Mexican delegate because it was ‘better for the business’. This explicit link between the competition results and corporate interests has cast a pall over the entire event. Harfouch was not the only one to exit. A few hours after his revelations, former French footballer and coach Claude Makélélé also announced his separation from the jury. While the former athlete wielded ‘unforeseen personal reasons’ for his abrupt departure, the timing of his resignation has only deepened suspicions that the outcome of Miss Universe 2025was far from a fair contest.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/miss-universe-2025-scandal-raul-rocha-reportedly-won-307m-deal-under-fatima-boschs-father-2023-1757164
Miss Universe 2025 Scandal: Raul Rocha Reportedly Won £30.7M Deal Under Fatima Bosch’s Father in 2023
