7 News Belize

In our last segment, 7News showed you excerpts from the Belmopan Independence Day ceremony.
That was but one of several held around the country, and this year, the Village of Succotz experienced quite an exciting Independence Day celebration. It happened when the queen of the Ms Independence Day pageant pulled quite a stunt. She refused to accept the crown because the organizers allegedly jilted her out of her package she was to receive as winner. Yancy Bautista, the 2013 Ms Independence attended the crowning ceremony, and chose not to participate. That's until she snatched the crown from the runner up just as they placed it on her head, and she ran off, breaking it.

It's the kind of thing which draws attention, and it has already gone viral on Facebook. Today, 7News spoke with Bautista, where we asked her why she did it, and if she now has any regrets. Here's what the third former said:

Yancy Bautista, Miss Independence 2013
"I won the Miss Independence 2013-2014. The reason why this happen is because they involve politics in what they shouldn't. My dress should not supposed to be red. It is supposed to be white."

"They involve politics in it and I didn't like it because they promise two pair of shoes, two dresses and my crown and my band. The dress was already used. They bought it from the market. I just didn't like what they were planning."

"I had talk to everybody for supporting me and I was standing there at the girl who was going to be crown and when they crown her my intentions was to pull that crown out of her head because that was my crown and my band. I pull it out and after that I break it."

Daniel Ortiz
"I am sure that you have people comment on it and say maybe that wasn't the best approach. Do you have any regrets about doing what you did in front of the entire group?"

Yancy Bautista "No, I don't regret it and I don't know what is going to happen but I want the people to know that they shouldn't involve politics in those things."

Bautista says that even though it has caused embarrassment for the pageant organizers, she is unfazed because her village supports her.