Panama Disqualified From Miss Universe 2024 Contest

The Miss Universe Organization released a statement on November 1, 2024 announcing the withdrawal of Miss Panama, Italy Mora, from the competition due to breaking the rules of conduct. Neither MUO nor the Panamanian director revealed the details. Below is the announcement:

Mexico City, November 01, 2024.

The Miss Universe organization regrets to announce the withdrawal of Panama’s candidate from the Miss Universe 2024 pageant. This decision has been taken after a thorough evaluation by our disciplinary commission.

The disciplinary committee, charged with maintaining the integrity and values of the pageant, conducted a full audit of the matter and, based on the information gathered and reviewed, has concluded that withdrawal is the most appropriate course of action under the current circumstances.

It is important to note that we made this decision with the utmost respect for all parties involved. Our number one priority remains the welfare and transparency for all of our candidates, who exemplify diversity, talent and dedication.

The Miss Universe organization wishes to stress the importance of maintaining confidentiality and respect during this process. Over the years, our pageant has been a beacon of diversity, inclusion and empowerment for women around the world. In this regard, adhering to strong ethical principles, such as confidentiality and respect, is essential to maintaining the integrity of our organization and the well-being of our participants.

Confidentiality is a fundamental pillar of any disciplinary process. By protecting sensitive and personal information, we not only ensure fairness and equity in our decisions, but also the dignity of all involved.

As we move forward, we reaffirm our dedication to these principles, inviting all our participants, supporters and media to join us in this commitment. We kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of our Panama candidate during this time and to avoid unnecessary speculation that may negatively affect all parties involved.

We would like to thank you once again for the continued support and understanding of our community as we work together to ensure that Miss Universe continues to be a platform for inspiration and positive change in the world.

An earlier rumor was swirling that suggested that Miss Dominican Republic, Celinee Santos, and her roommate, Miss Panama, Italy Mora, had a heated argument initiated by Celinee that ended in Italy hitting Celinee. I had posted this story earlier based on what I’ve read in several pageant pages without first verifying the authenticity of the story; I apologize for this grave misstep. Most of all, I apologize to Celinee and Italy for portraying them in a bad light.

Now, several credible sources are claiming that the fight is fake news.There was no fight or argument between the girls. But it is reported that Italy had spent the night in her boyfriend’s room. When the chaperone asked Celinee where Italy was, she simply said that Italy didn’t return to her room. The chaperone reported the incident to MUO who decided to pull Panama out of the competition for breaching the rules of conduct.

The announcement was followed by an Instagram live in Spanish by the Panamanian director who confirmed his candidate’s disqualification from the competition. “Como una joven, comitió un error” - “As a young person, she made a mistake” - stated Anel - without giving the details of the incident to respect Italy’s privacy. It is unfortunate that Italy was disqualified because she is the best representative from Panama in the last few years.

Let this be a reminder to all the remaining Miss Universe contestants that you are being watched every second until the new winner is crowned on November 16.