Honduras withdraws from Miss Grand International, accuses them of being 'only interested in money'
Amelia Vega D'Sanchez, the national director of Miss Grand Honduras, announced that they are withdrawing from the Miss Grand International (MGI) pageant as she made accusations that the organization is only "interested in their money."
In the social media pages of Miss Grand Honduras, D'Sanchez penned a lengthy statement expressing her disappointment with MGI's treatment towards national directors.
"The MGI organization is only interested in our money, and even then, they do not value the sacrifice or investment we directors make to promote the brand in our countries and bring our queens to the host country," D'Sanchez accused.
"They do not recognize that their national directors are the true investors of the contest and one of its most important parts. During the concentration, we are not even given identification as directors, and at the same time, we are charged for entry to all the shows," she continued.
D'Sanchez claimed that the organization has never taken them into account or give a message of thanks for their collaboration.
"It is for this and many other reasons that I decided to withdraw and not continue renewing the contract for Honduras," she stressed.
Despite this, she assured fans that the social media pages of Miss Grand Honduras will remain active to provide support to Honduran queens and future organizations or new directors who wish to continue with the brand.
"I am very sorry that many director colleagues do not dare to speak or say anything about what is happening out of fear of MGI reprisals in withdrawing their franchise, and that is why I raise my voice for those who do not dare to speak or tell the truth about the corruption and mistreatment by MGI," D'Sanchez stated.
Honduras isn't the only country that has cut ties with MGI as the Miss Grand India organization also announced last week that they are withdrawing from the pageant due to how their "visions and goals" differ from MGI's.
"After careful consideration, we have decided to part ways with the Miss Grand International organization. Our decision comes from recognizing that our visions and goals differ at this moment. This step allows us to focus on exciting investments and projects that are already in motion and will soon be revealed to everyone," said Nikhil Anand, the president of Glamanand Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., in a statement.
Following this, MGI insisted that they decided not to renew the contract with Glamanand Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. due to "repeated delays in license payment, violation of the contract agreement, lack of support and promotion, and insufficient promotion of the MGI brand."
Another controversy rose when Myanmar bet Thae Su Nyein returned her MGI second runner-up crown after she was seen sobbing at the end of the competition as her country's pageant director forcefully removed her crown and sash.
The 12th edition of the MGI pageant took place on Oct. 25 in Bangkok, Thailand. The competition ended with Rachel Gupta from India winning the coveted crown, beating contestants from 67 other countries to become the first Indian representative to win.
Honduras' representative, Yariela García, ended her journey early after failing to make it to the Top 20. However, she was still honored with a Best National Costume award along with Brazil's Talita Hartmann and Ecuador's María José Vera.
The country has yet to win since MGI's inaugural edition in 2013.
The Philippines' Christine Juliane Opiaza meanwhile came close to the crown as she ended up in the 1st runner-up spot. Should she have won, it would've been the country's first-ever MGI crown.
MGI has yet to comment on Honduras' withdrawal and accusations.
