Miss Grand International followers are mourning the passing of Miss Grand Orlando 2025 Skarlent Rodriguez.
Skarlent and her boyfriend, Jose Castro, were among those killed in the devastating twin earthquakes, 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, that struck Venezuela on June 24.
She is a Venezuelan model based in Orlando, Florida, USA, where she was crowned Miss Grand Orlando last year. But she didn’t win the title of Miss Grand Florida.
The bodies of Skarlent and her boyfriend were found in their collapsed apartment in Catia La Mar, La Guaira, Venezuela after five days.
According to Prensa Punto Fijo, a media company in Venezuela, the couple was buried in the collapsed building when the powerful earthquake struck.
“The well-known Venezuelan model Skarlent Rodriguez, was found lifeless with her boyfriend, José Castro, after remaining missing since the fateful earthquakes that shook the country last June 24,” the media reported.
“The couple got trapped among the rubble of the building where their apartment was located, in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state. After several days of intense search work, their relatives confirmed the unfortunate finding of both bodies on Monday night.
“‘Sadly, today June 29, 2026, both were found dead… side by side, together until the end,’ their loved ones reported through a campaign posted on GoFundMe,” it added.
The family has started a fundraising campaign to cover their funeral costs, explaining that the search and retrieval operation generated high costs.
Miss Grand Florida also released a statement regarding Skarlent’s passing.