Miss Venezuela facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Miss Venezuela

Type	Women's beauty pageant
Franchise holder	Cisneros Group
Headquarters	Caracas
Country represented	Venezuela
Qualifies for	Miss Universe Miss World Miss International
First edition	1952
Most recent edition	2024
Current titleholder	Stephany Abasali Anzoátegui
Executive Committee	Nina Sicilia Harry Levy
Owner	Gustavo Cisneros
CEO	Adriana Cisneros
Language/s	Spanish

Dayana Mendoza, the 2007 winner and Miss Universe 2008

Miss Venezuela is a famous beauty pageant in Venezuela. It is run by the Cisneros Group. This contest chooses young women to represent Venezuela in big international beauty pageants. These include Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International. The current leader of Miss Venezuela is Gabriela Isler, who was Miss Universe in 2013.

The current Miss Venezuela is Stephany Abasali from Anzoátegui. She won her crown on December 5, 2024, in Caracas, Venezuela.

The Story of Miss Venezuela

Manuela Victoria Mujica Antich from Lara, the first Miss Venezuela in 1905

The idea of Miss Venezuela started a long time ago. On May 7, 1905, a woman named Manuela Victoria Mujica Antich from Lara was chosen as "Miss Venezuela" by popular vote. Many people see her as the very first Miss Venezuela. Her win was like a preview of the big contest we know today.

Early Years (1952-1981)

The official Miss Venezuela pageant began in 1952. It was started by a company called Pan Am and a businesswoman named Gloria Sánchez. Their goal was to pick a Venezuelan girl to compete in the Miss Universe pageant in California.

In the early years, contestants were chosen very quickly. They would have parades and shows in different parts of the country. At first, swimsuit parades were private because some religious groups protested. Later, Venezuela also started sending representatives to Miss World (since 1955) and Miss International (since 1960).

After a short break in 1954, Pan Am gave the rights to a journalist named Reinaldo Espinoza Hernández in 1955. Even though Susana Duijm won Miss World 1955 (the first Latin American to win a major pageant), Hernández faced protests. There was also a lack of interest from the news. Another break happened in 1959 due to political changes. This led to the contest being sold to Edwin E. Acosta-Rubio in 1962.

Acosta-Rubio was a smart businessman. He quickly changed how the contest worked. He made it an organized yearly event instead of a quick tourist show. He created the "Venezuelan Beauty Committee" to choose contestants fairly. He also made the event more public and showed it on TV for the first time in 1962 on RCTV. People even started buying tickets for the final show. By the late 1960s, Miss Venezuela became a popular and important event in Venezuelan culture. It was also a successful business.

In 1968, the swimsuit and evening gown parts of the show were shown on TV for the first time. Around this time, Osmel Sousa started working for the contest as a designer. In 1969, Ignacio Font Coll became the director of the Miss Venezuela Organization.

The contest started getting great results in international pageants. Maritza Sayalero won Miss Universe 1979. This win marked the start of what many call the 'Golden Age of Miss Venezuela'.

Since 1972, the Cisneros Organization took over the rights to produce and broadcast the pageant on its channel, Venevisión.

Miss Venezuela Organization (1981-Present)

In 1981, Irene Sáez won Miss Universe 1981, and Pilín León won Miss World 1981. After Coll passed away, the Cisneros Group officially took charge of the beauty contest in 1982. They created the "Miss Venezuela Organization." In February 1982, Osmel Sousa, who had worked for the contest for a long time, became its president. Joaquín Riviera, María Kallay, and Mery Cortez also joined as the official producer, coordinator, and choreographer.

Starting in 1984, the crowns for the pageants were made by jewelry designer George Wittels. He made the crowns until July 2018. Mila Toledo, a former Miss Federal District, took over after him.

In 1996, the Miss Venezuela pageant launched its website, missvenezuela.com. Also in 1996, the Mister Venezuela contest was created. Miss Venezuela Mundo was founded in 2000, both at the request of the Miss World Organization.

In 2009, Venezuela made it into the Guinness World Records. This was because it was the first and only country to have one Miss Universe winner crown another winner from the same country.

In 2010, the pageant also got the rights to send a representative to Miss Earth. They kept this until 2015. During this time, Alyz Henrich won a second crown for Venezuela at Miss Earth 2013.

Joaquín Riviera, the executive producer, led the event until he passed away in 2012. After María Kallay passed away in 2013, Peggy Navarro, Ricardo Di Salvatore, Vicente Alvarado, and Erick Simonato took over the production. In 2015, Peggy left, leaving three managers who still work for the organization today.

In 2016, Mery Cortez, the choreographic producer, announced she was leaving after almost 45 years.

On February 6, 2018, Osmel Sousa announced he was retiring as President of the Miss Venezuela Organization. He had been in charge for over 40 years.

On April 17, 2018, the organization announced that an executive committee would run the contest instead of a single president. The next day, the committee members were announced: Gabriela Isler (Miss Universe 2013), Jacqueline Aguilera (Miss World 1995), and Nina Sicilia (Miss International 1985).

Choosing Contestants

The Miss Venezuela contest usually has between 26 and 28 contestants. This number can change based on what the contest organizers decide.

Official States and Regions

There are 23 official states and 3 official regions that usually have representatives in the pageant.

States (23)

• Amazonas
• Anzoátegui *
• Apure
• Aragua *
• Barinas
• Bolívar *
• Carabobo *
• Cojedes
• Delta Amacuro
• Falcón
• Guárico
• Lara
• Mérida
• Miranda
• Monagas *
• Nueva Esparta
• Portuguesa
• Sucre
• Táchira
• Trujillo
• Vargas
• Yaracuy
• Zulia *

• Some states like Táchira, Zulia-Falcón, Lara, Aragua, and Sucre hold smaller contests to choose their representatives.

Regions (3)

• Costa Oriental (Eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo)
• Distrito Capital (Capital District)
• Federal Dependencies (Venezuelan islands)

Sometimes, other regions or territories are also represented. For example, if there are 27 contestants, the 27th might be Miss Peninsula Goajira. If there are 28, it could be Canaima or Paraguaná Peninsula. In 2003, even more titles were added, like Araya Peninsula and Roraima, bringing the total to 32 contestants. In 2009, only 20 delegates competed, so some usual states did not have a representative.

Winners by State or Region

Venezuelan winners in international contests represented these states during their Miss Venezuela competition:

• Miss Universe: Departamento Vargas (1979), Miranda (1981), Trujillo (1986; 2009), Yaracuy (1996), Amazonas (2008), and Guárico (2013).
• Miss World: Miranda (1955; 1984), Aragua (1981), Zulia (1991), Nueva Esparta (1995), and Amazonas (2011).
• Miss International: Monagas (1985), Miranda (1997), Costa Oriental (2000), Carabobo (2003), Barinas (2006; 2018), Trujillo (2010), Anzoátegui (2015), and Portuguesa (2023).
• Miss Earth: Nueva Esparta (2005), Falcón (2013).

The Main Pageant

Training for Success

There are special schools and "beauty factories" in Venezuela. Girls as young as 5 years old can train there to become future Miss Venezuela contestants. They learn how to walk, get beauty tips, and learn good manners.

Once a contestant is chosen for the pageant, she starts an intense training program. This can last for six months. She gets coaching in speaking, staying fit, makeup, modeling, and other skills needed for the competition. The Miss Venezuela show can last up to four hours, with many musical and dance performances. This means rehearsals take weeks of practice. Contestants also do official photo shoots and try on outfits made by fashion designers.

The evening gowns worn by the contestants are very important. Top Venezuelan designers create custom gowns for each contestant for the final night. By tradition, certain designers dress contestants from specific states. For example, Nidal Nouaihed designs for his home state of Zulia. In 2006, for the first time, designers appeared on stage with the contestants. In 2008, a "best evening gown" prize was given to a designer for the first time.

Winners chosen to represent Venezuela in major international pageants continue their training. Big companies like Pepsi-Cola and Palmolive help pay for these efforts. They are interested because the pageant gets high TV ratings.

International Pageant Success

Venezuela has won a total of 24 titles in the Big Four international beauty pageants. This is the most by any country in the world. It includes seven Miss Universe titles, six Miss World titles, nine Miss International titles, and two Miss Earth titles.

Miss Venezuela contestants reached the semifinals of Miss Universe every year from 1983 to 2003. They consistently made it to the final question round from 1991 to 2003. This is the longest streak of finalists for any country. This streak ended in 2004. Venezuela has also held the Miss Universe and Miss World titles at the same time in 1981. They also held Miss Universe and Miss Earth titles at the same time in 2013. Venezuela is the only country to have won each of the Big Four pageants multiple times. Venezuela is also the first and only country to win Miss Universe two years in a row. This happened when Dayana Mendoza (Miss Universe 2008) crowned Stefania Fernandez (Miss Universe 2009).

Success in Other Fields

Alexandra Braun, Miss Earth 2005

Competing in the pageant can help contestants start successful careers in television or modeling. Many of Venezuela's top models and TV personalities have been in the pageant. For example, Maite Delgado became the main host of the Miss Venezuela live shows.

Many familiar faces on Spanish TV networks around the world are from Venezuela. These include Ruddy Rodríguez, Catherine Fulop, Norkys Batista, Viviana Gibelli, and Alicia Machado. Famous supermodel Patricia Velásquez and singer/actress María Conchita Alonso also competed.

Irene Sáez, Miss Universe 1981, later became a mayor and a governor. She even ran for president in 1998. The Times newspaper in London listed her as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

Alexandra Braun, Miss Earth 2005, became a very successful international actress. She won many acting awards for her role in the movie "Uma."

Miss Venezuela and Other Countries

Some Miss Venezuela contestants have gone on to win other national pageants. Natascha Börger won the Miss Germany title in 2002 after competing in Miss Venezuela. She then placed in the Top 10 at Miss Universe 2002. In 2006, Francys Sudnicka, who was in the Top 10 of Miss Venezuela 2003, won Miss Poland Universe. She represented Poland at Miss Universe 2006 and Miss Earth 2006.

In the past, other countries sent their titleholders to be trained by the Miss Venezuela Organization. However, the organization stopped this after Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic won Miss Universe 2003 after training with them.

In recent years, the pageant has started to include Venezuelans living abroad who work as international models.

How Winners Are Chosen

Miss Venezuela 2007 winners, with Dayana Mendoza (center), who became Miss Universe 2008

There have been different ways to choose which winners go to which international pageants. From 2000 to 2002, there were two separate contests: Miss World Venezuela and Miss Venezuela (for Miss Universe). In 2003, the two pageants were combined again.

In the most common system, the winners of Miss Venezuela (who goes to Miss Universe) and Miss World Venezuela are considered equal. However, the Miss Universe representative is usually announced last. The final five finalists are announced during the TV show. Then, the second and first runners-up are named. After that, Miss Venezuela to Miss International, Miss Venezuela to Miss World, and finally, Miss Venezuela to Miss Universe are announced.

Since 2010, a new system has been used. The fifth-place finisher is the 1st runner-up. The fourth place is for Miss Earth. The third place is for Miss International. Then, two "equal" winners are crowned: Miss Venezuela World and Miss Venezuela Universe.

If a winner cannot fulfill her duties, the organization decides who takes her place. For example, in 2003, Goizeder Azua was sent to Miss International 2003 instead of the first runner-up because of scheduling conflicts. Since 2013, the Miss World delegate is crowned in a separate Miss Venezuela World pageant. This means she competes in the same year she is crowned.

In 2014, Maira Alexandra Rodriguez was crowned Miss Earth Venezuela for the 2015 contest. But because the previous winner, Stephanie de Zorzi, was removed, Maira was sent to Miss Earth 2014 instead. She finished as Miss Water (2nd runner-up).

From 2015 onwards, Miss Earth Venezuela competes in the same year she is crowned. In 2017, the old announcing style returned. The Top 5 were announced, then the runners-up, then Miss Venezuela International, Miss World Venezuela, and Miss Venezuela Universe. All three competed in 2018. This helped avoid issues with international pageants not allowing contestants to participate if they weren't in their current reign year. However, in 2018, Osmel Sousa retired. Since 2019, the organization has held a separate Miss World Venezuela pageant. The main Miss Venezuela pageant still crowns Miss Universe and Miss International representatives.

Recent Winners

Miss Venezuela

These women have recently won the Miss Venezuela title:

Miss World Venezuela

These women have recently won the Miss World Venezuela title:

Miss International Venezuela

These women have recently won the Miss International Venezuela title:

Miss Venezuela Organization

The Miss Venezuela Organization is the group that runs the Miss Venezuela, Miss World Venezuela, Miss International Venezuela, and Mister Venezuela beauty pageants.

It is based in Caracas and has been owned by the Venezuelan company Cisneros Group since 1972. The current president is Gustavo Cisneros, and Adriana Cisneros is the CEO. They work with Jonathan Blum, Gabriela Isler, Jacqueline Aguilera, and Nina Sicilia. The organization sells TV rights to many countries, especially in Latin America and the US.

Current Miss Venezuela Organization Winners

Since 1985, the Venezuelan representatives for Miss Universe and Miss World have been given separate titles. The same has been true for Miss International since 1987. If a finalist or another contestant is chosen to represent the country in these contests without winning one of the main titles, it is called a "designation."

Here is a list of all the Miss Venezuela Organization titleholders since each pageant began.

Key

Past Miss Venezuela Organization Winners

Here is a list of all past Miss Venezuela Organization titleholders from the founding of each pageant.

Key

Images for kids

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  1995 Jacqueline Aguilera

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  2006 Claudia Suárez

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  2007 Hannelly Quintero

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  2009 Adriana Vasini

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  2010 Ivian Sarcos

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  2011 Gabriella Ferrari

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  Miss International Venezuela 1973
  Hilda Carrero

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  Miss International Venezuela 1994
  Milka Chulina

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  Miss International Venezuela 1997
  Daniela Kosán

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  Miss International Venezuela 2014 and Miss International 2015
  Edymar Martínez

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  Miss Venezuela Earth 2005 and Miss Earth 2005
  Alexandra Braun

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  Miss Venezuela Earth 2006
  Marianne Puglia

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  Miss Venezuela Earth 2007
  Silvana Santaella

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  Miss Venezuela Earth 2008
  Daniela Torrealba

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  Miss Venezuela Earth 2009
  Mariángela Bonanni

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  Miss Venezuela Earth 2011
  Osmariel Villalobos