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Mario Búcaro has quietly stepped down as CEO of the Miss Universe organisation only a month after stepping into the role, and honestly it’s left a lot of people scratching their heads. The pageant announced on Friday that Búcaro, 48, has “concluded his tenure,” and that’s the official word we’ve got so far.
Búcaro took over in November, following the resignation of Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip back in June. In a statement that sounds like it was meant to both explain and close the door, Búcaro said his time with the organisation “represented an invaluable period of learning.” He went on to praise the people he worked with, saying he was grateful for the chance to be around “extraordinary women, exceptional professionals, and a global community that genuinely believes in the empowerment of women.”
He also made it clear that his goal has always been to make a positive impact, telling the world he has always sought to “leave a positive legacy with every person with whom I have collaborated.” But even with those warm words, there’s no denying that his departure comes at a messy moment for the Miss Universe brand.
That’s because the recent Miss Universe competition was, shall we say, eventful. There was a viral confrontation between pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil and Fátima Bosch, who was crowned Miss Universe 2025. Clips of that interaction spread fast, and the buzz around it didn’t exactly help calm the waters.
On top of that, some contestants raised concerns about falling ill after eating what they called “box lunches,” and there were complaints about logistical issues throughout the event. The organisation pushed back against those claims, insisting that all evaluations stuck to “established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols” and that there was no ad‑hoc or “impromptu jury” involved.
Before Búcaro’s brief stint, Jakrajutatip had her own controversies, including an arrest warrant in late November tied to alleged financial fraud at her company, JKN Global Group, which owns the Miss Universe pageant. With all that happening in such a short span, the world is watching closely to see what comes next.