Catherine Canto received death, quite literally, as the prize for winning the local beauty competition in Ecuador! Catherine was a nineteen year old aspiring model who was crowned as the winner of Duran beauty contest in Ecuador. Catherine received numerous prizes for winning the competition which included a new Aveo car 2015, a smart tablet - and a free course of cosmetic surgery treatment. After winning the contest, Catherine had hoped to work in tourism projects, as well as 'social assistance programmes' for children and seniors, as well as in animal protection, but her dream was short lived as she tragically died while undergoing the liposuction surgery.

Catherine was not keen on going under the knife and was putting off the treatment. She had told the media that she would exercise hard to lose weight. But she was constantly being pressurised by both the Judges of the competition and the surgeon. Catherine’s brother told the reporters that the surgeon kept calling Catherine and put a lot of pressure on her to agree to undergo the treatment.

According to Ecuadorian newspaper El Telegrafo, she eventually underwent the procedure at a private clinic on January 10, 2015, which ended with tragic consequences.  The lawyer of the deceased, Carlos Reyes Izquierdo said,” I was told she had died of a brain oedema. But the clinic staff told her relatives that she had died of a cardiac arrest. I have ordered cytological and pathological examinations to find out what exactly happened. However, it can be presumed as negligence because there has been no support from doctors who have failed to explain anything about the case. The doctors in question have been arrested to prevent them from leaving the county.”

This is not the first time when beauty queens have been forced to go under the knife to attain perfection, and many of these cases have resulted in tragic deaths.  Angelopedia expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Catherine Canto, may her soul rest in peace!