Miss Universe 2025 Fátima Bosch added another memorable moment to her reign during her latest trip to Ecuador. The Mexican beauty queen was presented with the keys to the city of Santa Elena, an honorary distinction that came during a weekend filled with pageant events, cultural celebrations and a warm welcome from the local community.
Bosch received the symbolic honor alongside newly crowned Miss Universe Ecuador 2026 Dalia Bucaram on Sunday, August 16, during festivities in Santa Elena. The presentation was made by Mayor María del Carmen Aquino as the coastal city prepared to commemorate 499 years since its discovery, as reported by Diario Extra.
© Miss UniverseThe recognition followed Bosch's participation in the Miss Universe Ecuador 2026 competition, held one night earlier in Santa Elena, where Bucaram won the national crown. Bosch participated in the coronation alongside outgoing Miss Universe Ecuador Nadia Mejía and other pageant figures.
Fátima Bosch Receives the Keys to Santa Elena, Ecuador
Bosch and Bucaram were honored during a public appearance connected to the inauguration of the Amantes de Sumpa monument at the entrance to Santa Elena.
The monument pays tribute to the ancient Las Vegas culture and the famed Amantes de Sumpa, making the ceremony more than a traditional pageant appearance. It connected the two titleholders with one of the region's most recognizable cultural and archaeological stories.
© Miss UniverseFor Bosch, the visit also marked a first for Santa Elena. Local reporting ahead of the festivities noted that the canton was welcoming a reigning Miss Universe for the first time. Bosch had arrived in the area on August 14 and began a schedule that included appearances tied to local culture, community initiatives and the Miss Universe Ecuador competition.
Bosch made her feelings about the destination clear during the ceremony.
“I love this country, I love Santa Elena,” Bosch said in Spanish, adding that she was sure she would return because the area was “marvelous.” According to Diario Extra, Bosch formed a heart with her hands and brought them toward her chest as she addressed the crowd.
Santa Elena Mayor Honors Fátima Bosch and Dalia Bucaram
Mayor María del Carmen Aquino personally presented the keys to Bosch and Bucaram. The mayor described it as “an honor” to welcome the two beauty queens and said they represented “beauty, love, and consistency” qualities she connected to the people of the Santa Elena peninsula.
The symbolic keys placed Bosch and Bucaram at the center of a weekend that blended international pageantry with Santa Elena's local celebrations.
The timing was especially significant for Bucaram. Just one day before receiving the honor, the 21-year-old representative from Guayaquil had been crowned Miss Universe Ecuador 2026 during the August 15 national final. She received the title from outgoing queen Nadia Mejía, while Bosch participated in the crowning ceremony.
© Miss UniverseFor Bucaram, Santa Elena will now be permanently linked to the beginning of her reign. “I will never forget that I got crowned in Santa Elena,” Bucaram said during Sunday's festivities, thanking the community for its affection and saying she was emotional about everything she was experiencing, per Diario Extra.
