Miss Honduras laid to rest
Bereaved family members and citizens laid to rest Honduras' representative in the Miss World beauty contest, who was murdered after leaving a birthday party.
Reuters reports that the funeral for sisters Maria and Sofia Alvarado took place in the Honduran town of Santa Barbara. Maria was 19-years-old and set to represent Honduras in the upcoming Miss World beauty competition, scheduled for December. Her sister Sofia was 23-years-old.
Hundreds of people followed their caskets through the dirt streets of the Galeras neighborhood. The Associated Press reports that the sisters were killed after celebrating the birthday of Sofia's boyfriend at a spa. The murders took place after they left the spa. After the night's revelries came to a close, Sofia's boyfriend, Plutarco Ruiz, killed Sofia and Maria. The murders occurred because Ruiz was in a jealous rage over the fact that Sofia danced with another man at the spa. The Honduran authorities say that Maria was killed when she tried to flee after seeing her sister murdered. Maria was shot twice in the back, according to the AP. Honduras has the highest murder rate on the planet and the killings of such a high profile personality and her sister have brought renewed scrutiny to the security situation in the country. The volatile and dangerous security environment in Honduras was a major factor in the humanitarian crisis on the U.S. border in early 2014. Many of the women and children seeking shelter in the United States came from Honduras, driven from their home country by its endless violence. The AP says that in light of recent events, Honduras will not participate in this year's Miss World contest.
