National Beauty pageant in Puerto Rico
Miss Universe Puerto Rico
is a national
beauty pageant
in
Puerto Rico
, held annually since 1952. Currently, the pageant is responsible for selecting the country’s delegates to
Miss Universe
. Since 2018, the organization is owned by
Hemisphere Media Group
, and the annual competition is broadcast on
WAPA TV
and
WAPA America
. After Hemisphere Media Group acquired the rights of the franchise,
Denise Quinones
, was appointed as the director of the organization.
Traditionally, the organization begins castings of the contestants in April. The delegates of each municipality go through months of training and workshops. The pageant's preliminary and final night are held in September. The winner of the title of Miss Puerto Rico Universe goes to compete in
Miss Universe
, traditionally held in December.
History
The selection of Miss Puerto Rico commences the year before the winner advances to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. Each
Puerto Rican city
may choose a representative who then enters the Miss Puerto Rico finals, traditionally held at a
San Juan
area hotel. The winner is crowned at the conclusion of the final competition.
There have been three changes in the organization that led to modifications in the pageant's name. "Miss Puerto Rico" was held from 1952 until 1998 under the direction of
Anna Santisteban
, in 1996 the pageant lost the franchise for Miss Universe. From 1996 to 1998
Telemundo
organized the event, under the name "Miss Universe Puerto Rico". From 1999 to 2002 TeleOnce (now
Univision Puerto Rico
) obtained the franchise and renamed it "Miss Puerto Rico Universe". Magali Febles organized the pageant between 2003 and 2009 and the pageant title has remained the same. In 2009, Luisito Vigoreaux and Desiree Lowry obtained the Miss Universe franchise and renamed the pageant "Miss Universe Puerto Rico".
The Miss Puerto Rico beauty pageant has now turned to technology to reach more people through the use of
podcasting
. Starting with the 2006 pageant, Miss Puerto Rico Universe became the first pageant of the Miss Universe franchise to have a podcast.
[1]
In this, Wilton Vargas, an international multi-media and technology personality, interviews all contestants with the goal of helping people get to know them better so that they can participate in the voting process using cell phones. This podcast is published as a section in technology news and information website Tecnetico.com and various podcast directories, including
iTunes
.
Delegates are allowed to compete more than once at the Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant, the caveat being that they are not allowed to compete again after they have won. For example,
Cynthia Olavarria
placed 1st runner-up in 2003 and returned in 2005, winning the title and placing 1st runner-up at Miss Universe. A number of delegates and winners have competed in the "Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico" (Miss World Puerto Rico) pageant, a preliminary to the
Miss World
pageant. There are frequently crossovers between the two pageants: for example
Joyce Giraud
was crowned Miss Puerto Rico twice by Ana Rosa Brito, first in 1994 as Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico, then in 1998 as Miss Universe Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is one of the most successful competitors in the history of the Miss Universe pageant, having won five times.
Marisol Malaret
, Miss Puerto Rico 1970, was the first Puerto Rican to win the
Miss Universe
title. The four other Puerto Rican delegates who have won the Miss Universe title are
Deborah Carthy-Deu
(
1985
),
Dayanara Torres
(
1993
),
Denise Quinones
(
2001
), and
Zuleyka Rivera
(
2006
).
On November 7, 2011, Miss Universe Puerto Rico selected the first woman who was not born in Puerto Rico to represent the island at
Miss Universe 2012
.
Bodine Koehler Pena
was crowned as
Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2012
. Koehler was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Dominican mother, and grew up in Puerto Rico.
[2]
On February 5, 2018, it was announced that
Luisito Vigoreaux
and
Desiree Lowry
had lost the rights to the franchise, with
WME/IMG
awarding rights to
WAPA-TV
.
[3]
On February 15, 2018,
Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2001
and
Miss Universe 2001
winner
Denise Quinones
was named as the pageant's national director.
[4]
Controversy
Nationality of contestants
In 2011, after
Bodine Koehler Pena
was crowned
Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2012
, people started to question her nationality. Koehler Pena was born in the
Netherlands
, her father is
Dutch
and her mother is
Dominican
. Regarding the criticism, Koehler Pena said: "I want to clarify a point about my nationality and that is that I am Puerto Rican and I feel very proud to represent Puerto Rico. I was born in the Netherlands, but I came here when I was very little and my family is here too."
[5]
After the strong criticism, the national director of the pageant at that time,
Desiree Lowry
, explained that the rules of the contest establish that the participants must be citizens of the country and have lived in it for a minimum of six months.
[6]
Titleholders
Representatives of Puerto Rico in the
Miss Universe
pageant.
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
- Key
-
: Declared as Winner
-
: Ended as runner-up or top 5/6 qualification
-
: Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
-
: Ended as special awards winner
Miss Universe Puerto Rico
In 2009, Luisito Vigoreaux and Desiree Lowry obtained the Miss Universe franchise and renamed the pageant "Miss Universe Puerto Rico". Since 2018, the organization is owned by Hemisphere Media Group, and the annual competition is broadcast on WAPA TV and WAPA America. After Hemisphere Media Group acquired the rights of the franchise, Denise Quinones, was appointed as the organization's director. In 2022, Yizette Cifredo became the organization's national director.
Miss Puerto Rico Universe
From 1999 to 2002 TeleOnce (now
Univision Puerto Rico
) obtained the franchise and renamed it "Miss Puerto Rico Universe". Magali Febles organized the pageant between 2003 and 2009 and the pageant title has remained the same.
Miss Puerto Rico
Miss Puerto Rico was held from 1952 until 1998 under the direction of
Anna Santisteban
.
Statistic rankings
Placements at Miss Universe
Placement
|
Title
|
Year
|
Miss Universe
|
5
|
1970
,
1985
,
1993
,
2001
,
2006
|
Top 5/6
|
11
|
1971, 1987, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
|
Top 10/12
|
8
|
1974, 1980, 1986, 1997, 1999, 2010, 2020, 2021
|
Top 16/20
|
2
|
2011, 2013
|
Municipalities with most titleholders
City
|
Title
|
Year
|
San Juan
|
12
|
1953, 1954, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1978, 1985, 1987, 1997, 2017
|
Guaynabo
|
5
|
1981, 1988, 1990, 2000, 2015
|
Salinas
|
4
|
1976, 1989, 2005, 2006
|
Santurce
|
1966, 1968, 1970, 1972
|
Lares
|
3
|
1952, 1999, 2001
|
Toa Alta
|
1991, 1993, 1996
|
Ponce
|
1957, 1963, 1977
|
Fajardo
|
2
|
1967, 2022
|
Toa Baja
|
2014, 2019
|
Isabela
|
1994, 2016*
|
Rio Grande
|
2010, 2012
|
Corozal
|
1995, 2011
|
San German
|
1975, 1986
|
Mayaguez
|
1979, 1984
|
Trujillo Alto
|
1955, 1983
|
Caguas
|
1965, 1980
|
Patillas
|
1
|
2023
|
Loiza
|
2021
|
San Sebastian
|
2020
|
Rincon
|
2018
|
Aguadilla
|
2016*
|
Arecibo
|
2013
|
Cabo Rojo
|
2009
|
Dorado
|
2008
|
Guayanilla
|
2007
|
Cidra
|
2004
|
Vieques
|
2003
|
Utuado
|
2002
|
Aguas Buenas
|
1998
|
Bayamon
|
1992
|
Juncos
|
1982
|
Orocovis
|
1973
|
Rio Piedras
|
1969
|
San Lorenzo
|
1956
|
Gallery of winners
See also
Notes
- ^
Due to the impact of
COVID-19 pandemic
, the First Runner-up of 2019 crowned as the Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020
References
- ^
Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2007 Podcast
- ^
"Rio Grande se lleva la corona - El Nuevo Dia"
.
www.elnuevodia.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2011-11-12.
- ^
"Miss Universo le quita franquicia de Miss Universe P. R. A Desiree Lowry"
.
- ^
"Denise Quinones sera directora de franquicia MUPR"
.
- ^
"Miss Puerto Rico defiende sus raices tras polemica"
. 9 November 2011.
- ^
"La nueva Miss Universe Puerto Rico enfrenta criticas por su nacionalidad"
.
- ^
Jun, Kwanwoo (2003-12-03).
"Lost in Storm's Debris: A Beauty Pageant"
.
The Wall Street Journal
. Retrieved
2016-09-11
.
- ^
Kenya, News (2011-07-15).
"Beauty with scandals"
.
Standard Digital News
. Retrieved
2016-09-11
.
- ^
Vietnam, News (2008-10-08).
"Nh?ng scandal c?a Miss World"
.
Vietnam Express
. Archived from
the original
on 2015-11-17
. Retrieved
2016-09-11
.
- ^
Ibrahim, Lynda (2013-09-13).
"The misses and missuses of the world"
.
The Jakarta Post
. Retrieved
2016-09-11
.
- ^
Lowe, Aya (2016-01-25).
"Philippines' Miss Universe returns home, ignites dreams"
.
Channel NewsAsia
. Retrieved
2016-09-11
.
- ^
"Miss Patillas, Karla Inelisse Guilfu Acevedo, se corona como Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2023"
.
El Nuevo Dia
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
25 August
2023
.
- ^
"Miss Fajardo, Ashley Ann Carino Barreto, se corona como Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022"
.
El Nuevo Dia
(in Spanish). August 12, 2022
. Retrieved
August 12,
2022
.
- ^
"Asi brillo Miss Loiza, Michelle Colon, en Miss Universe Puerto Rico"
.
El Nuevo Dia
(in Spanish). October 1, 2021
. Retrieved
October 1,
2021
.
External links
|
---|
|
---|
Africa
| |
---|
Americas
| |
---|
Asia
| |
---|
Europe
| |
---|
Oceania
| |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Africa
| |
---|
Americas
| |
---|
Asia
| |
---|
Europe
| |
---|
Oceania
| |
---|
|
|
|