Ethics probe launched after Miss Venezuela contestants accuse each other of ‘sexual favours’ in ugly social media brawl

The Miss Venezuela beauty pageant said on Wednesday it will investigate possible unethical conduct by its contestants following a vitriolic social media spat that saw former participants accusing each other of inappropriate behaviour.

A group of ex-Miss Venezuela contestants, in a confused flurry of social media posts this month, insinuated that other participants had sought to enrich themselves through sexual favours for corrupt businessmen and officials.

“Given the events recently described on social media … a decision has been made to begin an internal review to determine if anyone linked (to the pageant), during the course of their involvement, violated the values and ethics of the contest,” the Miss Venezuela Organisation said in a statement.

The organisation added that it was temporarily closing a Caracas training facility and halting casting for the pageant as well as the lower-profile Mister Venezuela event.

It was not immediately evident how this would affect the Miss Venezuela pageant, which is typically held toward the end of the year.

The rights to Miss Venezuela are owned by Grupo Cisneros, of the wealthy Venezuelan Cisneros family.