Miss Universe making the most of shortest reign

Andrea Meza, the third Mexican woman to be crowned Miss Universe, will have the shortest reign in history due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She was crowned in May of this year after the contest was cancelled in 2020. The next contest is scheduled for December 2021.

"To be honest, at the beginning, I was a little sad because I was not going to have a whole year as Miss Universe, but I arrived to the competition with that in mind," she told reporters.

The 26-year-old made an appearance on Thursday to accept an honor from the Latino Commission on AIDS, a non-profit organization that works to help curve the spread of the disease among the Latino community in the U.S.

Meza she said she felt "very honored" to collaborate with the organization and "very committed" to helping the cause.

AIDS continues to disproportionately affect Hispanics in the United States.

A representative from the commission told the AP on Thursday that Hispanics account for 22% of new HIV infections in the country.

IMAGE: AP