Journalist and former Miss Colombia contender Lina María Hurtado recently opened up about lightening her skin after receiving racist comments about her skin color from critics on social media.
On Tuesday, Hurtado revealed to Revista Semana that she tried to use Clorox bleach to brighten her skin as a child, Remezcla reported.
“I did it secretly from my parents. And I used it because it’s supposed to be a whitener and being white was good,” she said. “As a girl and in the midst of how illogical it could be, I applied it and rubbed it in. And I did a lot of damage to my skin.”
The Colombian native isn’t the only Afro-Latina who experienced racism and colorism in Latin America. Discrimination based on skin color is a form of prejudice primarily found in Spanish-speaking countries. According to the Minority Rights Group, Afro-Colombians comprise around 10% of the country’s population.
While Black communities exist across the country, there is minimal representation when it comes to beauty pageants. In 2021, Vanessa Mendoza was the first Afro Latina crowned Miss Colombia in the competition, per Remezcla.
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