Beauty queen from slum crowned Miss Venezuela
Rodriguez crowned at ceremony that traded glitz for frugality due to nation’s economic woes
CARACAS: The title of Miss Venezuela went on Thursday to a woman from the country’s largest slum after a ceremony that traded glitz for frugality relecting an acute economic free fall.
The new beauty queen in a country that loves this kind of pageant is Isabella Rodriguez, 25, from a Caracas shantytown called Petare − home to well over half a million people.
“From Petare to the world, dreams can in fact come true,” Rodriguez, who works as a model, said during the question and answer session of the contest. Girls in her crime-ridden slum want to emulate her, she added.
The ceremony lasted four hours and some people on Twitter called it tedious and boring.
It had its share of gaffes, such as one contestant walking out on stage without the sash indicating what state she represented and another whose dress slipped off during a dance number.
With the organisers seeking to cut costs, the 65th edition of the pageant was moved from its historic home at an arena with room for 20,000 people to a 200-seat television studio.
The economy of this oil rich country is in ruins after ive years of recession. People endure severe shortages of food, medicine and other basics and inlation for 2019 is forecast by the IMF to come in at a mind-boggling 10 million per cent. An estimated 2.3 million Venezuelans have led since 2015.
The economic crisis meant much of the glamour had to go this year, and some of the contestants have been turning up to rehearsals by bus or metro.
The organisers were forced to shut down temporarily amid accusations that oficials had procured young women as sexual companions for wealthy sponsors, including businessmen and oficials in the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Osmel Sousa, director of the Miss Venezuela Organisation for nearly 40 years and nicknamed the “beauty czar”, stepped down.
He has denied any wrongdoing. A new code of ethics prohibits the women from receiving external funding or being nominated by third parties. They have to apply to represent their state in the contest by completing an online form.
The event has been “depersonalised,” said Sicilia.
“There cannot be anyone above the organisation.”
Sicilia defended beauty contests in the face of #Metoo era criticism that they violate the dignity of women.