Laura Gallego, Miss Antioquia, resigned after controversy on social media for comment about 'shooting' candidates: 'I refuse to remain silent'

In the last few minutes, Laura Gallego, Miss Antioquia, published her formal resignation letter from the National Beauty Contest after the strong controversy she sparked on social media due to videos in which she speaks with presidential pre-candidates and asks them to choose between "shooting" President Gustavo Petro or the former mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero.

" My name has become a topic of national debate. My political stances have been singled out as if thinking, expressing opinions, and defending principles were incompatible with being queen," she stated in the letter.

With these words , she ended her participation in the pageant and added that she has already received attacks against her.

"Public attacks have been issued from figures such as Daniel Quintero and Gustavo Petro, whom I have openly questioned as a citizen for their actions and speeches that I consider harmful to Colombia."

"A few days ago I was chosen Miss Antioquia, an honor I received with deep gratitude and with the genuine hope of representing the land I love. However, I am also a woman of principle, with a history of civic activism and a political voice that I have never hidden and never will ," began the heartfelt message she shared with the more than 50,000 followers of her Instagram account.

This was the result of videos that circulated on social media and received negative comments regarding the political language used by Miss Antioquia.

The recordings are interviews with presidential hopefuls such as Miguel Uribe Londoño, María Fernanda Cabal, and Juan Carlos Pinzón. All were published on his Instagram profile.

In fact, the National Beauty Contest had already issued a statement to assure that the entity, "does not participate, either in its own name or in the name of the Miss Colombia contestants, in politics."

Furthermore, they also stated that it "defends the institutional framework" and that it "rejects any pronouncements by the participants regarding political activity."

Laura Gallego, for her part, expressed her discontent with this and with the controversy generated by her videos. She emphasized that she does not intend to remain silent about what happened.

" Faced with this reality, I refuse to remain silent. I refuse to be part of a system that demands obedience instead of independent thought. I refuse to let a crown become a gag."

"The inconsistency is obvious. Those who proclaim themselves defenders of freedom are scandalized when a woman exercises it. They expect that the participation of a Miss Antioquia in public life should be a passive ornament, a silent body destined to please the spectacle ," stated Laura Gallego.

Miss Antioquia concludes her resignation letter by stating: " Being a queen never was, nor will it ever be, about wearing a crown to pose in silence. Being a queen means having the courage to speak the truth, even if it hurts, and not selling your soul to fit in. I am not giving up on my dreams. I am giving up on what seeks to silence my voice ."

Luisa Fernanda Gutiérrez Henao

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