María Alejandra López is Miss Grand Colombia 2023

María Alejandra López was crowned Miss Grand Colombia 2023 in an event held last Sunday, June 18 at the Mayor Auditorium CUN in Bogota.

The 28-year-old model and industrial engineer from Pereira bested over 20 other competitors to win the national title.

“As an industrial engineer, working with our Colombian indigenous communities, working with people with disabilities like my uncle who has Down syndrome, I want to inspire the world and tell everyone that we are educated people, that we are talented,” she answered during the Q&A portion.

“We’re not just coffee, emerald, beautiful women, and landscapes. We have so much potential to give to the world and we are already changing the course of our nation,” she added.

Yuri Rey from Meta and Valentina Cárdenas from Zona Andina were named the first and second runners-up, respectively.

No stranger to pageantry, the new Miss Grand Colombia represented Risaralda at Miss Universe Colombia 2021 where she placed first runner-up to the winner Valeria Ayos.

María Alejandra succeeds last year’s titleholder and Miss Grand International 2022 fifth runner-up, Priscilla Londoño. She will now prepare to represent Colombia at Miss Grand International 2023 in Vietnam this October.

The Miss Grand Colombia 2023 final was attended by reigning Miss Grand International from Brazil, Isabella Menin, with Miss Grand International Vice President Teresa Chaivisut.