When Olivia Yacé of Côte d’Ivoire failed to win Miss Universe 2025, many assumed it came down to subjective judging or backstage politics. What few expected was an explanation so brazen it sparked outrage from Bangkok to Abidjan. During a livestream on November 25, Miss Universe Organization president Raúl Rocha dismissed Yacé’s chances by pointing to her Ivorian passport. According to Rocha, Yacé would have spent her reign “in the apartment” because her nationality requires visas for over 170 countries. He claimed the role of Miss Universe demands global travel—a privilege, it seems, not all contestants are afforded equally.
The explanation might have slipped under the radar if not for one fact: Olivia Yacé reportedly holds a United States passport. She is also the daughter of Jean-Marc Yacé, mayor of Cocody and honorary consul of Mexico in Ivory Coast. Rocha’s assertion wasn’t just misleading; it was wrong. And it revealed something bigger: the extent to which outdated ideas of privilege and power still shape international pageants.
Rocha Blames the Passport Not the Politics
In his livestream, Rocha invited viewers to Google the visa requirements for an Ivorian passport. “Côte d’Ivoire needs [visas for] 175 countries,” he said, implying that such paperwork would interfere with Miss Universe duties. Yet Rocha offered no similar scrutiny for other contestants from countries with comparable travel restrictions. In fact, Thailand’s Praveenar Singh and the Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo advanced to the final five; both hold passports ranked far below the US, UK, or European Union. If passport power were truly decisive, these delegates would have faced the same disqualification logic.
Worse still, Rocha’s remarks contradict the organization’s existing protocol. Nowhere in the Miss Universe charter does it state that visa access is a disqualifying factor. Past winners have included delegates from nations with limited mobility. There is no formal requirement that a delegate hold a “strong” passport. As several former contestants confirmed to People Magazine, the MUO facilitates travel through diplomatic coordination and expedited processing. The issue is not logistics. It is something far more troubling.
Mezino Pushes Back as Fans Cry Foul
Within hours of Rocha’s broadcast, his claims unraveled. French-Caribbean model Ophély Mezino posted an Instagram Story condemning the rationale as “a racist excuse.” Mezino, who competed as Miss Guadeloupe and witnessed the events firsthand, alleged that Yacé submitted her US travel documents to organizers long before the final. “Did you even read our biographies?” Mezino asked. Her post quickly went viral, drawing attention to the broader pattern of exclusion and contradiction.
This was not the first controversy to mar Miss Universe 2025. Several judges resigned in the days leading up to the final, including Omar Harfouch and Claude Makélélé. Harfouch publicly accused Rocha of pressuring him to vote for Fatima Bosch, the Mexican contestant who ultimately won. Bosch, for her part, has handled the controversy with grace, declining to comment while continuing her official duties. Her victory has been clouded by claims she had insider ties to Rocha, whose company won a multimillion-dollar Pemex contract while Bosch’s father served in an executive role at the firm. Rocha denies any conflict.
When the Mask Slips, the Rules Change
The scandal doesn’t just come down to one candidate or one comment. It suggests a deeper issue within Miss Universe itself. Rocha’s passport logic was more than a bigoted remark; it signaled a hierarchy in which global South contestants are celebrated only if they don’t challenge the structure. Yacé, one of the most experienced, charismatic women on stage, was cast aside not because she lacked merit but because her nationality was viewed as inconvenient.
Mezino’s remarks gave voice to what many had felt for years, that the organization speaks the language of inclusion while rewarding the same power dynamics it claims to disrupt. When contestants from marginalized countries are told they can’t win because of where they were born, it confirms the belief that the game is not just rigged, it is restricted.
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Final Thoughts
Rocha’s remarks weren’t just tone-deaf. They revealed a system that’s rotting from the top. Imagine training for years, spending thousands, and still being dismissed because your passport offends someone’s logistics team. That isn’t fairness. That’s fraud.
Fatima Bosch may have won, but even she has been denied the dignity of a clean victory. Broadly speaking, this isn’t about her. This is about what Miss Universe has become: a vanity project owned by men who see women as a tool to launder power. It pretends to elevate women while rewarding obedience and proximity.
What are they actually fighting for? A few trips, some photo ops, and a brand partnership? If the job is as international as they claim, why are visas a disqualifier now? If pageants still matter, then let them prove it. Because right now, the only message coming through is that some women are more convenient than others.
This isn’t just outdated. It’s pathetic. And if Miss Universe wants to survive, it needs to ask itself a simple question: merit or manipulation?
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