Nezuela, beauty t of poverty
“My values are intact and no one can take that away from me,” she said. “From the time I was 6 years old, my goal has been to become Miss Venezuela.”
In Venezuela, one man has ruled as king in transforming fledgling ingenues into flawless beauty queens: Osmel Sousa.
The so-called “Czar of Beauty” led the Miss Venezuela pageant for nearly four decades before leaving the organization in February as accusations spread on social media that organizers had arranged for some contestants to work as escorts for high-ranking government officials in exchange for glimmering jewels, elegant gowns and cosmetic surgeries.
The Miss Venezuela contest suspended operations amid the outcry.
Sousa has denied any claims suggesting he played a role in helping contestants find so-called “sponsors” and several candidates have spoken out in his defense. Still, multiple women have come forward to say that finding a well-off man to back their pageant aspirations has long been a common practice.
Patricia Velasquez, a contestant in the 1989 Miss Venezuela pageant, wrote in her memoir about feeling obliged to enter a relationship with an older man who found her an apartment in Caracas and paid for breast implants.
“I quickly learned that getting into the Miss Venezuela contest meant I would have to start prostituting myself in order to find a sponsor,” she wrote. “Not everyone needed to go to such lengths, but that was my reality.”
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Sousa said that if any wrongdoing was committed, those responsible should be held accountable. He recently launched a new pageant called “The Contest” that will still feature a swimsuit segment, which he defended as an important demonstration of style, physique and health.
“Watching the swimsuit competition is practically the most important part,” Sousa said from the lobby of a posh Arabic restaurant in Caracas.
Some like Esther Pineda, an expert in women’s studies, believe the continued popularity of beauty pageants in Venezuela is also an indication of how deeply sexist the country remains.
Even as more women occupy seats in Congress and become business leaders throughout Latin America, a culture where looks are prized above intellect remains prevalent. The #MeToo movement that has toppled the careers of Hollywood luminaries and political heavyweights has registered little more than a ripple in Venezuela.
Few believe that Venezuelan pageants are likely to emulate the recent decision by the Miss America pageant to nix the swimsuit segment.
“Physical beauty is seen as a value,” Pineda said. “And it’s given more importance than any other attribute.”
Colls still remembers watching the Miss Venezuela pageant with her family at 6-years-old and then stealing her mom’s high heels to imitate the beauty queens on screen.
“It’s inspiring,” she said, her lips curling into a smile at the memory. “It’s something beautiful to see them compete and share their talent with the world.”