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The 2023 edition of Miss Universe Puerto Rico will make history as some of the 33 candidates include three mothers, a married woman, and a transgender woman.
According to Metro Puerto Rico, the delegates of Aguada (Jinny Valentín), Añasco (Ninoshka Rodríguez), and Carolina (Luisa Angélica Vázquez) are among the moms trying to take the title after the Miss Universe organization began allowing young, married, divorced and mothers to compete.
The current Miss Puerto Rico, Ashley Ann Cariño Barreto, will crown her successor, on Thursday, August 24, 2023, after a preliminary competition set to take place on Sunday, August 20.
The first transgender woman in Miss Universe Puerto Rico
Daniela Victoria Arroyo González will also compete for the crown of Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2023 as the first transgender woman in the island’s beauty pageant. “The emotion and pride that I feel in this moment overwhelms me with joy,” Arroyo said in a video. “It’s time to show how far we can go,” she said in the clip. “This is my time.”
Arroyo González, representing Miss Cabo Rojo Universe 2023, is 24 years old and has studied public relations.
Miss Universe 2023 will be held in El Salvador in December, and pageants from Belgium, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, the Czech Republic, the Philippines, and Venezuela have already been chosen.
During the 71st Miss Universe pageant on Saturday, January 14, 2023, where Miss USA secured the multimillion-dollar crown, President Nayib Bukele revealed during a video presentation that they will host the contest.
“I am greatly honored to announce that El Salvador will be the official host country of the next Miss Universe pageant at the end of this year,” Bukele said. “El Salvador is a country that’s full of beauty. We have the best surfing beaches in the world, magnificent volcanoes, and exquisite coffee, and we have become the safest country in Latin America.”
Bukele continued: “We would like to thank the Miss Universe organization for joining us in this historical process.”
In 2022, the once-labeled old-fashioned Miss Universe began a new era after transgender businesswoman Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip bought the organization for $20M.
Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, known for being a Thai media tycoon and transgender rights advocate, is the CEO of JKN Global Group PCL, a Thailand-based media distribution company.
“We seek not only to continue its legacy of providing a platform to passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and traditions but also to evolve the brand for the next generation,” Anne said.