The Miss Universe 2021 beauty pageant was decided this Sunday, May 16, after a long day and after last year's pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the 74 women who participated in the contest, the three finalists in the 69th edition of Miss Universe were Miss Mexico, Andrea Meza; Miss Brazil, Julia Gama; and Miss Peru, Janick Maceta del Castillo. The gala was held at a luxury hotel in Miami, Florida and has been described as a "Latin party." 

Zozi Tunzi, winner of the pageant in 2019, and who had to extend her reign through 2020, handed her crown last night to Mexicana Andrea Meza, a 26-year-old software engineer and new Miss Universe.  

The Chihuahua native thus becomes the third Mexican winner in the history of the pageant, along with Lupita Jones (1991) and Ximena Navarrete, (2010).

Throughout the pageant, there were many suspicions that the crown would stay in Latin America, as nine of the contestants from the region were among the first group of semi-finalists.

In a unique edition, due to the health situation and with a strong feminist movement in the world, the pageant has been marked by difficult issues to address such as abuse and violence against women and the management of the rulers in front of the COVID-19 crisis.

Beauty pageants have always been debatable, especially in feminist circles, due to the objectification of women and the "competition" between hegemonic and normative beauty. However, some changes within the organization that seem to take into account the criticisms may shed light on an evolution of the competition.