Despite being second to the United States of America with 8 Miss Universe winners – Venezuela is reportedly not keen in sending its representative in the 66th edition of Miss Universe mainly because of the financial crisis the South American nation is experiencing since.
TVyNovelas (a monthly Mexican magazine) posted on its website that Miss Venezuela 2016-2017 Keysi Sayago may not compete in the next Miss Universe since Miss Venezuela Organization thru Osmel Sousa could not provide the franchise payment to Miss Universe Organization.
Though written in Spanish but was translated in English by other pageant websites, the article says, “For the first time since the 1952 World Beauty Fair began, Venezuela may not send a representative to it. Although it is no secret that the country is going through a difficult social political situation, the Miss Venezuela contest is a tradition of so strong a roots in national culture, that (although with work), the 2017 edition is already being prepared. In fact, Keysi Sayago, the current Miss Venezuela and to represent the country in Miss Universe 2017, was selected on October 6 last year and has since been preparing for international competition. The big problem is that so far, the Miss Venezuela Organization has not been able to pay the annual franchise fee required by the Miss Universe Organization to accept its candidate.”
The report added that the said figure changes by country and it is known that in the case of Venezuela it will cost them around US$100,000 annually. However, there is an exception for not paying the annuity.
“When the candidate of a country wins the crown, the next year does not have to pay. That is why in the last 8 years the company that runs Osmel has saved the negligible amount of 300 thousand dollars. This is because Venezuela won the editions of the years 2008, 2009 and 2013,” the report added.
But the reigning Miss Venezuela still hopes that the money will still be collected and her dreams of representing her country in the Miss Universe can still be fulfilled. In previous years, Venezuela has the same incident which had a happy ending. In 2003, Mariangel Ruiz was informed that she won’t be joining the international pageant because of failure to pay the annuity but she didn’t give up and continued her training. She managed to raise the US$70,000 and was able to join the pageant.
But despite the financial difficulties Venezuela is facing, Sayago is still hopeful that she will be able to join this year’s Miss Universe pageant. In 2016, Miss Venezuela Mariam Habach failed to make a cut in the semis amid the positive reviews of her looks and performance and Miss France Iris Mittenaere emerged victorious.
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