A beauty queen who competed in the Miss Universe pageant has died tragically at the age of 28.
The death of María Lorena Argüello, a semifinalist in Ecuador’s Miss Universe pageant last year, was confirmed by the nation’s pageant committee on Sunday.
No further details were provided.
‘We stand with respect and solidarity with her family and loved ones in this time of grief,’ the Concurso Nacional de Belleza said in a statement on Instagram.
‘Her memory will always be with us.’
Argüello represented Ecuador’s capital city of Quito in the 2024 contest, her first-ever pageant.
She obtained a medical surgeon degree from the University of Las Americas on June 30, 2024, three weeks before she came up short in the pageant.
Argüello’s unexpected death stunned her friend María Topic, who went on to be crowned Miss Universe Ecuador.
‘Today heaven gained a beautiful soul,’ Topic wrote on social media. ‘My heart mourns your passing, but I trust that God holds you in his arms.
Nadia Mejía, who was crowned Miss California 2016 and competed in last month’s Miss Universe Ecuador contest, described Argüello as ‘one of the kindest people’ she had ever come across.
‘[She was] always supporting others and lifting them up with her light. A true queen,’ Mejía wrote on her Instagram.
‘God gained a true angel today. Please pray for peace for her family and friends at this time. So much love for you, Lore.’
María José Córdova recalled competing against Argüello for the chance to represent Ecuador at the Miss Universe pageant and how it led to a long-lasting friendship.
‘At first, this seemed like just a pageant, but it ended up being a family. Although we started in 2024, we remain united because we all created bonds that go beyond the crown,’ Córdova wrote.
‘Today, it pains us to see her go, but it comforts us to know that she did what she loved: discovering herself and shining,’ she added. ‘Her passing reminds us that every step leaves a mark, and that with faith, love, and hope, we can continue fighting for our dreams.
‘May her example always inspire us to give our best, in her honor, and for all those who share this path.’