| MISS UNIVERSE 2007 IN MEXICO CITY | | | | Salvador, Iris Yvette Mazorra, one of the |
| | | | best Latin American delegates in MU. |
| By Alejandro Guevara Onofre | | | | |
| | | | 1979: Perth (Australia). Miss Brazil was a |
| Miss Universe's my favorite Telecast. It's | | | | big favorite until last minute, but she had |
| really exciting. I always want my favorite | | | | poor speech in the finals. Miss Venezuela, |
| "Miss" to win. When they win, I am really | | | | Maritza Sayalero won the title. |
| happy. But when my favorite lose…Every | | | | |
| year, I have a favorite delegate. Last year | | | | 1981: New York City. Under the leadership of |
| was Miss Japan, Kurara Chibana. From my point | | | | Osmel Sousa, President of Miss Venezuela |
| of view, I think that Miss Japan 2006 is a | | | | Organization, Venezuela's Irene Saez was |
| perfect beauty… In 1978 was my | | | | crowned Miss Universe. The final |
| countrywoman: In my opinion, I think that | | | | ranking:1-Venezuela, 2-Canada, 3-Sweden, |
| Miss Peru, Olga Roxana Zumaran Burga, has one | | | | 4-Brazil, 5-Belgium. After the Miss Universe, |
| of the best bodies in the Miss Universe | | | | Miss Brazil, Adriana Alves de Oliveira had |
| History...she was a big favorite in Acapulco, | | | | worked as professional model in Paris...In |
| Mexico... I think that Olga was eliminated | | | | 1984 she was London, the United Kingdom, |
| this contest because she did not speak | | | | where she was the first favorite by |
| English...In this year I was a children...I | | | | international journalism and houses of best. |
| was a fan of Miss Peru… | | | | With at 1.81m, she had a perfect body and |
| | | | European profile...But she only came between |
| In 1985, my favorite was Miss Zaire, | | | | 7 semifinalists. She is the best delegate |
| currently the Democratic Republic of | | | | from Brazil since Magdalena Sbairini, other |
| Congo.... Miss Zaire ,Kayonga "Benita" Mureka | | | | big favorite in Miss World 1977... |
| Tete...Miss Africa and great favorite in Miss | | | | |
| World 1985... ...her exotic beauty was very | | | | 1982: Lima ,Peru. The favorites were: 1-Miss |
| special. Some people think that I am | | | | Chile, 2-Miss South Africa, 3-Miss Brazil, |
| passionate about Miss Universe…It's | | | | 4-Miss Finland 5-Miss Canada 6-Miss Austria |
| true...My mother is guilty of that. She has a | | | | 7-Greece 8-Miss Wales 9-Miss Italy 10-Miss |
| great admiration for Gladys Zender, Miss | | | | Australia...Weren't favorites: Guam, USA, |
| Universe 1957. | | | | Uruguay, Germany, Peru, Venezuela, England |
| | | | and Miss Sweden. Miss South Africa, Odett |
| I remember that my country was elected host | | | | Octavia Scrooby, (18 years old, 173m, blue |
| the Miss Universe on January 1982. For me, | | | | eyes and 54 k) was born in Skeerpoort. She |
| was a surprised to read in the newspapers | | | | had been a professional model in |
| that Lima, Peru's capital, hosted the Miss | | | | Johannesburg, a city in SA. Her hobbies are |
| Universe. I felt very happy...My country made | | | | drawing and painting. Her dream was to become |
| a great contest...were times against the | | | | an international supermodel. She did not win |
| terrorism by Shining Path… One of my | | | | because her country was the birthplace of |
| favorites was Miss Brazil.. spectacular | | | | Apartheid…However, Miss Canada won the |
| Cecyle Pinto Marques da Sylva (1,80m-18 years | | | | title. Karen Baldwin was a student at |
| old and brown eyes) was born in Belem do | | | | university in Canada.Her dream was to become |
| Para, Amazonas (Amazonian jungle. She studied | | | | a businesswoman. Her hobbies were water |
| medicine. Glamorous Miss Amazonas said that | | | | sports and playing tennis, squash and |
| her idol is the Supreme Pontieff John Paul | | | | racquetball. Like Gladys Zender, one of the |
| II. | | | | judges, Karen was a sportswoman. "My idol is |
| | | | the Mother Theresa of Calcutta", said in an |
| The Miss Universe Pageant originated in the | | | | interview with Mario Vargas Llosa (judge).In |
| 1950s in Long Beach, California. Certainly, | | | | the International judge, Karen had had the |
| Miss Universe has been compared to Olympic | | | | support of Rod Duguay, her countrymen and a |
| Games. I think that Miss Universe begin in | | | | famous hockey player... |
| Ancient Greece…More than 1,000 | | | | |
| years… I remember that sports and | | | | 1984: Miami, Florida. Miss South Africa, |
| beauty were important for the Ancient Greeks. | | | | Leticia Snyman, was a big favorite, but she |
| Certainly, Cyprus Island was the sanctuary of | | | | did not win Miss Universe. After 1984,Miss |
| Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty and Love | | | | Universe company did not accept South Africa |
| | | | contestants until 1995,when Namibia was host |
| For the fourth time, Mexico will host the | | | | the Miss Universe. |
| 56th the Miss Universe Pageant. The final | | | | |
| will be at the National Auditorium in Mexico | | | | 1985: Miami, Florida. The final ranking: |
| City, on May 28th.Mexico is one of the most | | | | 1-PR,2-Spain,3-Zaire,4-Venezuela,5-Uruguay. |
| wonderful places on Earth…There are | | | | Miss Zaire, Benita Mureka, was the first |
| very nice beaches: Cancun, Mazatlan, Puerto | | | | black African finalist in Miss Universe. Miss |
| Vallarta, La Paz, Puerto Escondido, and | | | | Zaire has her own style, very beautiful. Miss |
| Acapulco. For example, Cozumel Island is a | | | | Puerto Rico, a girl very common, was elected |
| tropical paradise…The Mexican Jungle is | | | | Miss Universe…very strange result. |
| the real fascination…paradisiac | | | | |
| landscapes. Furthermore, Mexico has one of | | | | 1986: Panama City. Miss Venezuela, Barbara |
| the oldest histories in the world. Like Peru, | | | | Palacios Teyde. Venezuela has had many judges |
| France and Thailand, Mexico is the home of | | | | in the Miss Universe since 1984: Certainly, |
| International gastronomy…Mexico is very | | | | Carolina Herrera (1984 and 1997), Irene Saez |
| famous for its food…tacos, empanadas, | | | | (1983 and 1995), Maria Consuelo Alonso (1993 |
| moles, and enchiladas…Finally, the | | | | and 1998), Lupita Ferrer (1986), Barbara |
| people are very warm and friendly. From my | | | | Palacios Teyde (1988) and Jose Luis Rodriguez |
| perspective, I think that Mexico is the | | | | (1991. Different from Venezuela, Jamaica has |
| perfect place for Miss Universe…Welcome | | | | not had an judge in MU history...as Bolivia, |
| to MEXICO! | | | | Paraguay, Portugal, Austria, Guatemala, Costa |
| | | | Rica, Namibia, Curacao, Albania, Bulgaria, |
| FROM 1952 TO 2007: | | | | Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Ireland... |
| | | | |
| 1952: Long Beach, California. Miss Finland | | | | 1987: Singapore City. Miss Chile, Cecilia |
| was the first Miss Universe… | | | | Bolocco was crowned Miss Universe Pageant. |
| | | | She had a sensational interview with judges. |
| 1955: Long Beach, California. Miss Sweden was | | | | Miss Colombia, Patricia Lopez, did not |
| crowned Miss Universe. Miss El Salvador, | | | | qualify for the semifinals. After of won Miss |
| Maribel Arrietta, was the big favorite. Miss | | | | South America-Universe and Miss Photogenic, |
| El Salvador was compared to Marilyn Monroe by | | | | Patricia Lopez became the big favorite to win |
| American journalists. | | | | the Miss Universe, but she did not speak |
| | | | English very well. Good bye Colombia… |
| 1957: Long Beach (California). Miss Peru, | | | | |
| Gladys Zender Urbina was elected Miss | | | | 1989: Cancun, Mexico. Andrea Stelzer was Miss |
| Universe. She is the first Latin woman to win | | | | South Africa 1985 but when she arrived at |
| the Miss Universe. | | | | Miami Airport Immigration did not accept her |
| | | | entrance to Miami. Reasons: Radical protests |
| 1959: Long Beach, California. Miss Italy, | | | | by American Anti-Apartheid activists. |
| Maria Grazia Buccella, was the big favourite, | | | | After...like many South African, she became |
| but she did not make the semifinals. Next | | | | German citizen. In 1989 she won the Miss |
| day, Italian newspapers criticized Akiko | | | | Germany title. She went to Cancun and was |
| Kojima...New Miss Universe from Japan.... | | | | semifinalist at the Miss Universe... |
| | | | |
| 1961: Long Beach, California. Marlene Schmidt | | | | 1990: Venezuela was the dominant force in |
| became the first German woman to win the Miss | | | | Miss Universe Pageant in the 1990s. |
| Universe title. | | | | |
| | | | 1993: Mexico City. Maria Consuelo Alonso, |
| 1962: Miss Haiti, Evelyn Miot, was the first | | | | international judge, did not support Miss |
| black woman to be a semifinalist at Miss | | | | Venezuela, Milka Chulina, at the Miss |
| Universe… | | | | Universe. In Caracas, there was many critics |
| | | | towards Maria Consuelo…She was born in |
| 1964: Long Beach, California. Corina Tsopie | | | | Cuba. |
| was the first person from Greece to win the | | | | |
| Pageant. | | | | 1994: Manila, Philippines. The ranking final: |
| | | | 1-Miss India, 2-Miss Colombia, 3-Miss |
| 1968: Miami Beach, Florida.Martha Vasconcelos | | | | Venezuela. Many people think that Colombia |
| became the second Brazilian to win the Miss | | | | never winner Miss Universe… because the |
| Universe title. | | | | narcotrafic. Colombia have had spectacular |
| | | | girls like Aura Maria Mojica and Paloma |
| 1969: Miami Beach, Florida. Miss Philippines, | | | | Turbay Ayala... |
| Gloria Diaz, became the third Miss universe | | | | |
| from the Asia. | | | | 1996: Las Vegas, Nevada. Miss Venezuela, |
| | | | Alicia Machado, won the Miss Universe |
| 1975: San Salvador (El Salvador).The winner | | | | Pageant. She is always controversial and |
| was Anne Pohtamo, Miss Finland. She looks | | | | charismatic… |
| like Grace Kelly, who was an American actress | | | | |
| and Princess of Monaco (a small country in | | | | 1999: Trinidad Tobago. Miss Botswana, Mpule |
| Europe).During her reign, she went to the | | | | Kwelagobe, became Miss Universe. Since 1999, |
| USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Dominican Republic | | | | she is an Anti-AIDS activist in the Third |
| and other countries in the Third World...She | | | | World. |
| was crowned in El Salvador, the birthplace of | | | | |
| Maribel Arrieta, one of the most beautiful | | | | 2000: Nicosia, Cyprus, the birthplace of |
| delegates in the chronology of MU.... | | | | Aphrodite…Miss India, Lara Dutta was |
| Jackeline Gammarra, Miss Bolivia, was big | | | | crowned Miss Universe. Miss France, Sonia |
| favorite in San Salvador. Ironically, she had | | | | Rolland, who speaks French, English and |
| been eliminated in the semifinals of Miss | | | | Spanish, was another bi-racial beauty. She |
| Universe. She is one of the best South | | | | has a Rwandan mother and a French father. |
| American delegates in the history of Miss | | | | Sonia was a child who lived at the time of |
| Universe... | | | | the Rwandan War. |
| | | | |
| 1978: Acapulco, Mexico. Miss South Africa won | | | | 2006: Los Angeles, California. Miss Puerto |
| the title. The favorites were : 1-El | | | | Rico, Zuleyka Rivera, was crowned Miss |
| Salvador, 2-Peru, 3-USA, 4-SAfrica, 5-Israel, | | | | Universe Pageant… Did you know that... |
| 6-Sweden, 7-Wales, 8-Costa Rica. Miss Costa | | | | Puerto Rico has had several judges in the |
| Rica, Maribel Fernandez (actress in the 1980s | | | | Miss Universe History: Mapy Cortes (actress |
| and 1990s), was eliminated. The great | | | | 1972), Marisol Malaret (former MU: 1977 and |
| surprise was Miss Chile… very | | | | 2002),Deborah Carthy-Deu (ex-MU: 1987 and |
| intelligent (she spoke English, French and | | | | 2003), Dayanara Torres (2001),Marc Anthony |
| German)… Miss Peru, Olga Roxana Zumaran | | | | (2001)and Maria Celeste Arraras (journalist |
| Burga, has been the only Peruvian favorite in | | | | 2003 and 2006)...but Chile only has had two |
| the Miss Universe History...but she did not | | | | judges: Cecilia Bolocco (1996) and Christian |
| speak English as Miss Colombia and Miss | | | | de la Fuente (20001)…. |
| Spain. Another eliminated was Miss El | | | | |