Luren Márquez’s road to Miss Universe 2026 just took a dramatic turn. Only hours after the Miss Peru Organization stripped Márquez of her Miss Peru 2026 title and appeared ready to select another woman to represent the country, the 27-year-old beauty queen received a second chance. She has her title back and is once again preparing to represent Peru at Miss Universe 2026 in Puerto Rico.
The reversal came after Márquez publicly apologized to the Miss Peru Organization and its director, Jessica Newton, while acknowledging that she had made mistakes. “Today I want to speak from a place of responsibility. I made mistakes and I accept the consequences of my decisions,” Márquez said in Spanish in a video shared on social media.
© @LurenMarquezNow, instead of searching for a replacement, Peru is moving forward with the same queen it crowned four months ago.
Why was Miss Peru 2026 Luren Márquez dethroned?
The controversy began on August 13, when the Miss Peru Organization announced that Márquez would no longer hold the Miss Peru 2026 title. The organization also said her participation in Miss Universe 2026 had been canceled and indicated that information about a new representative would be announced later. However, it did not publicly explain what led to Márquez’s removal.
That unanswered question quickly became one of the biggest parts of the story. Márquez had been crowned Miss Peru 2026 on April 15 at the Teatro Municipal del Callao. Karla Bacigalupo, Miss Peru 2025, handed her the crown during a ceremony attended by Miss Universe 2025 Fátima Bosch.
Her selection was also somewhat unusual. Rather than winning through a traditional national competition, Márquez was directly selected by the organization after discussions with the Miss Universe Organization. She had previously competed for the national crown in 2024, finishing as first runner-up.
© Getty ImagesFour months after finally getting the title, she suddenly lost it. Then came another unexpected development.
Luren Márquez apologizes after losing Miss Peru 2026 crown
Following her removal, Márquez addressed the controversy herself. She acknowledged making mistakes but did not disclose exactly what those mistakes were or explain the specific incident that resulted in the organization's original decision. “Being Miss Peru requires taking it on with responsibility and being worthy of being a queen,” she said, according to América Noticias.
Márquez then directly apologized to the people behind her national title. “I publicly apologize to the Miss Peru Organization, to Jessica Newton and to all the people who trusted me,” she said.
The apology apparently opened the door to reconciliation.
Luren Márquez pushes back against rumors about her dethroning
While accepting responsibility for unspecified mistakes, Márquez also challenged some of the claims that surfaced following her removal. She said third parties had taken advantage of her vulnerability to circulate information she described as false. “What most outrages me about this situation is that third parties used the situation and my vulnerability to create false information and speculation that does not correspond to reality,” she said.
Márquez also categorically rejected information she said could harm either her reputation or the Miss Peru Organization.
Who is Miss Peru 2026 Luren Márquez?
Márquez is a model, presenter and cultural promoter from Ica, Peru. Her pageant career began well before her 2026 coronation. She started modeling as a teenager, competed in Miss Teen Perú and later came close to winning the country's major national crown when she finished first runner-up at Miss Peru 2024.
© Getty Images for Art Hearts FashHer professional background extends beyond pageants. Previous profiles have documented her work in television, fashion and cultural promotion, including work connected to the Peruvian community in the United States.
When she was crowned in April, Márquez said becoming Miss Peru had been a longtime goal. Her original plan was to use the months before Miss Universe to prepare extensively for the international competition. Despite this week's short-lived dethroning, that plan is now back on.
Is Luren Márquez still going to Miss Universe 2026?
Yes. Márquez has confirmed that she intends to represent Peru at the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico. Miss Universe 2026 is scheduled for November 24 in San Juan.
She also pointed to a personal milestone attached to the opportunity: representing her home region of Ica on the Miss Universe stage. “I will continue preparing with great responsibility and hard work to represent Peru as the first queen from Ica to go to Miss Universe,” Márquez said.
© Getty ImagesAnd she ended her comeback announcement with a message that leaves little doubt about what happens next: “See you in Puerto Rico.”
Miss Universe 2026
Miss Universe 2026 is scheduled for Tuesday, November 24, 2026, at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum (El Choliseo) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The National Costume Show is set for November 21, followed by the preliminary competition on November 22.
