Colombians Celebrate New Year by Burning Effigies of Miss Universe Winner Miss Philippines

Colombians have added a new chapter to the Miss Universe saga by burning effigies of Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach‏, who won the competition, as well as host Steve Harvey.

Harvey infamously made the mistake of crowning Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez before owning up to his gaffe and announcing Wurtzbach as the true winner.

Colombians were outraged, and it seems their latest expression was burning the effigies as the new year arrived.

The burning took place in multiple places around the country as part of a tradition, according to Rappler.

“The burning of effigies, called año viejo (old year), is a New Year’s Eve tradition in Latin American countries, where it is believed that the act wards off bad luck in the coming year. The effigies are burned at the stroke of midnight too,” it said. 

@tvnnoticias @SueltaElWichi @PanamaRTweet @TuManana13 @buenosdiastvn Aqui con #SteveHarvey autor: @Artesvictor1 pic.twitter.com/AaqN4gXyg3

— Victor Alvarez (@Artesvictor1) December 24, 2015

El ingenio de los colombianos no tiene fin, especialmente al elaborar los tradicionales muñecos de Año Viejo. pic.twitter.com/vSn0W0KRoK

— EL MERIDIANO (@MeridianoWeb) December 28, 2015

Hoewver, some are offering apologies for burning the effigies.

Noider Almanza Barraza, who posted a video of a burning that went viral, later took it down and posted an apology.

He noted that burning dolls or effigies is a tradition, before adding: “At no time was my intention to hurt or offend the people of the Philippines.”

“I am very sad,” he said. “I apologize.”