Antonio Flores

Nexar Antonio Flores (born 28 July 1978 ) is an Ecuadorian and Finnish fashion stylist and make-up artist who is the partner of Finnish presidential candidate and former Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

Early life and youth Flores was born on 28 July 1978, in Esmeraldas, in the province of the same name of Ecuador. However, he never worked in that field, instead working at a bar in Quito while pursuing other studies in hairdressing and beauty.

Relationship with Haavisto Flores and Haavisto met in 1997 at a nightclub in Bogotá, during a vacation trip made by Haavisto, who was then the Finnish Minister of the Environment. Haavisto was the first openly gay politician to run for president in Finland. He ran again for that position in 2018 and in the 2024 election, coming in second place in all three occasions.

In an interview with an Ecuadorian newspaper, Flores said in January 2024, that being a gay man may have been an issue in the 2012 election, but he added that Finnish society developed a more open mind in the years that followed.

Personal life Flores has stated that he suffered from homophobia in Ecuador, where he said that people thought that being gay meant that "(you) want to be a woman." and reached the second place in Tanssii tähtien kanssa. In 2023, Flores was a contestant in Farmi Suomi, the Finnish version of The Farm. He has also taken part in UNICEF missions to Mauritania and other countries in North Africa.

In February 2024, Flores spoke about the Ecuadorian security crisis, expressing concern at the growing violence. He also said that while President Daniel Noboa had a vision for the country, he (Flores) thought that Noboa would not last long in power, adding that changes in Ecuador could take generations.

Flores speaks several languages and owns a beauty salon in Helsinki.