The winner of the Miss Puerto Rico 2008 beauty pageant, Ingrid Marie Rivera, was victim of a series of attacks since the beginning of the event, which are being investigated by the pageant's organizers.

Magali Febles, director of the Miss Puerto Rico Universe franchise, related that during the preliminary competition, when the 12 finalists are chosen, someone spread pepper gas on her make-up and her dress, which made her face swallow and cause an allergic reaction.

That steely poise was on display when she won the contest Friday, smiling winningly at the judges despite the fact that her gown and even her makeup had been laced with pepper spray.

After leaving the stage, Rivera tore off her clothes and applied ice bags to her face and body, which were covered with hives. (Source)

Two days after winning the crown, Ingrid described her victory as "a sweet experience, within the storm", referring to the misfortunes she suffered during the contest. The beauty queen affirmed:

"There was a moment when I said: 'Am I a masochistic? I said: "I am with God and that's my goal", whatever were the results... the more stones I found in the way, the closer I got to God". Rivera told her story in a press conference, and she cried when she was remembering the details of the pageant.

Ingrid Marie Rivera was competing against 30 contestants from several Puerto Rican cities. One of them spread pepper gas on her make-up - and that's not all. Her bag (in which she had all she needed for the contest) was stolen the day of the pageant, and Rivera claims a bomb threat was made against her.

As you can see, beauty queens are not sweet and helpless damsels. Terrorism seems to be popular everywhere, even on beauty pageants!

More details, in Spanish: Escándalo en Miss Puerto Rico