The organization of Miss Universe Belize crowned Iris Salguero as the new Miss Universe Belize 2020 during a press conference held on 9th January 2020. She will represent the country at Miss Universe 2020 and has succeeded Miss Universe Belize 2019 Destinee Dominique Arnold for the title.
Hailing from San Pedro, Iris is 24-years-old and stands 176 cm tall; she plans to obtain her bachelor’s degree in digital marketing and will eventually open a trade school in her community called “Brighter Future”. After winning the title, she took to her social media and mentioned, “The secret is finally out. My heart is full. I am honored and grateful to be your Miss Universe Belize 2021. This is our story!” She further mentioned, “This is a dream come true. After a month of waiting for this moment, it’s all starting to sink in! Once again thank you for the overwhelming love and support being shown to me, I am humbled by it. I’d like to thank our sponsors who pulled every detail of yesterday’s looks together. Thank you for making me look like a queen.”
Iris is not new to the world of beauty pageants as she has proudly represented Belize at three international pageants including Miss World 2016, Miss America Latina del Mundo 2018, and Miss Earth 2017. She is strong, confident, and focused towards winning the title for the country and is preparing herself for the competition.
In High School, Iris had to finance her own education and was proud to graduate as Salutatorian. She has showcased immense determination toward achieving what she desires and earning the opportunity to represent Belize at Miss Universe 2020 is also one of those desires. Iris is working as a brand ambassador and model for local businesses owned by female entrepreneurs. Her mission is to empower the young women in Belize to overcome hardship and accomplish their dreams. For two years, she was part of S.H.I.N.E, an organization dedicated to building healthy self-esteem for girls ages 12-18. As a survivor of an abusive relationship, she is fighting to end violence against women and to be a voice for those who suffer in silence. This “Island girl” is passionate about the environment and has participated in several clean up campaigns to spread awareness on the importance of protecting the natural resources in her country.
With such experience, zeal to perform her best and secure a placement at Miss Universe 2020, Iris could be a strong contender for the title. She is beautiful, strong, and determined to use the platform for making a positive change in the world and win the title for the Belize.