After a tough few weeks, Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez has quite an exciting day awaiting her.
In case you missed it, she was mistakenly named Miss Universe, only to have her crown taken away moments later after host Steve Harvey announced he’d named the wrong winner. Gutierrez’s own cousin (her first cousin once-removed, to be exact), Miss Universe 2014 Paulina Vega, removed the crown from her head and placed it on Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach. All of this was captured on live, international television.”It was a nightmare,” Gutierrez said in an interview on the talk show Steve Harvey. “It was the worst night of my life.”
But in an exclusive interview with Fortune (that has been translated from Spanish), Gutierrez said she’s been invited to the White House for the celebration of the 15th anniversary of Plan Colombia, the military and diplomatic agreement between the U.S. and Colombia to help end the traffic of narcotic drugs.
On Feb. 4th, Gutierrez, along with other Colombian celebrities, are invited to join President Obama, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, and other past American and Colombian presidents. Former President Bill Clinton and ex-Colombian president Andrés Pastrana, who approved the plan in 2000, are expected to be in attendance.
Gutierrez said she hopes to advocate for a peaceful continuation of U.S.-Colombian relations.
In addition to political endeavors, Gutierrez said she has her eyes set on aiding global causes, specifically helping the worldwide youth. She didn’t name a specific charity, but said she plans on pursuing this path.
As Miss Colombia said in a television interview, “maybe I’ll be bigger than Miss Universe.” Her trip to the White House and support for helping youth suggest that her long-term goals are far bigger than winning pageants.
