The Miss Universe Tegucigalpa organization announced Aquino’s death in an Instagram statement on July 21, offering condolences to her family and friends.
“The Miss Universe Tegucigalpa organization deeply mourns the passing of our runner-up, Wualys Aquino; we wish to express our condolences to her family and friends,” the organization wrote in an Instagram post, as quoted by People.
Wualys Fuentes Aquino was crowned first runner-up at Miss Universe Tegucigalpa 2026. Photo from Instagram |
Aquino was discovered in her apartment in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras on July 20, after relatives became concerned when they had not heard from her for several days.
Authorities have launched an investigation and are examining both natural causes and the possibility of crime. An autopsy is currently underway.
In addition to modeling, she was studying International Marketing and Social Work at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. She was regarded as one of the country’s promising young beauty queens and frequently shared travel photos and moments from her daily life on social media.
The Miss Universe Tegucigalpa organization remembered Aquino as a kind, generous and supportive woman known for her talent, charisma and willingness to help fellow contestants.
Her final Instagram post, published on July 19, has drawn renewed attention since her death. Alongside a series of black-and-white photos, she wrote: “Between ‘having’ and ‘being,’ choose being. Character creates value, while everything has its price. Anyone can have what you have, but no one can be who you are.”
The post has since been flooded with messages of grief and tribute from friends, fans and fellow pageant contestants.
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