The triumph of Fátima Bosch as Miss Universe has been clouded by controversy, as a new report reveals a multi-million-dollar contract between Mexico’s state-owned oil company, Pemex, and the business of the pageant’s current president.
The controversy was first ignited by Omar Harfouch, a former Miss Universe judge, who publicly declared Bosch a “false winner” and alleged the competition’s outcome was predetermined.
The revelation, published by Mexican newspaper El Universal, comes just days after Bosch’s victory. According to a document obtained by the newspaper, in 2023 Pemex awarded a contract worth 745.6 million pesos to a company owned by Raúl Rocha Cantú. At the time, Rocha Cantú was a private businessman; he would assume the presidency of the Miss Universe organization the following year.
Contract with Pemex
The contract was for physical construction, infrastructure, leak testing, and industrial safety for Pemex facilities in several southern states, including Tabasco, Chiapas, and Veracruz.
The connection has drawn scrutiny because Fátima Bosch’s father, Bernardo Bosch Hernández, is a long-time Pemex employee. At the time the contract was awarded, he served as Manager of Social Responsibility and Development. The report notes there was no direct managerial link between Bosch Hernández and the contract awarded to Rocha Cantú’s firm.
Since last October, Bosch Hernández has been promoted to Deputy Director of Safety and Health at Pemex. Following his daughter’s victory, the state oil company publicly celebrated her achievement on its official social media channels.
