Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 7 July 2018
In embattled Venezuela, beauty offers ladder out of poverty

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ breast implants.
Associated Press "I quickly learned that get-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ting into the Miss Venezu-
— At a small home with a ela contest meant I would
leaking tin roof near Ven- have to start prostituting
ezuela's capital, Johandrys myself in order to find a
Colls proudly shows off two sponsor," she wrote. "Not
metal crowns with plastic everyone needed to go to
gemstones and nine satin such lengths, but that was
sashes won in local beauty my reality."
pageants. In a recent interview with
The 16-year-old daughter The Associated Press, Sousa
of a butcher and a teacher said that if any wrongdo-
is pinning her hopes for a ing was committed, those
future free of poverty on a responsible should be held
single goal: rising through accountable. He recently
the world of pageants and launched a new pageant
becoming an international called "The Contest" that
beauty queen. will still feature a swimsuit
"These sashes represent a segment, which he de-
huge accomplishment for fended as an important
me," says the skinny teen demonstration of style,
with dark brown eyes as she physique and health.
pushes her long black hair "Watching the swimsuit
from one side to another. competition is practically
"I accomplished what I set the most important part,"
out to achieve." Sousa said from the lobby
While growing concern of a posh Arabic restaurant
about sexism and the rise in Caracas.
of the #MeToo movement Some like Esther Pineda, an
recently led the Miss Ameri- expert in women's studies,
ca contest to drop swimsuit believe the continued pop-
competitions and empha- ularity of beauty pageants
size personal accomplish- in Venezuela is also an indi-
ment, in Latin America cation of how deeply sexist
young women continue the country remains.
to flock to competitions Even as more women oc-
where good looks are un- In this July 1, 2018 photo, two beauty contest crowns and sashes won by Johandrys Colls, are cupy seats in Congress and
abashedly championed displayed on a table at the living room of her home, in Caracas, Venezuela. become business leaders
above all else. Associated Press throughout Latin Ameri-
In Venezuela, compet- ca, a culture where looks
ing comes at a high price: "So that in the future if any- At a recent casting for ganizers had arranged for are prized above intellect
Elaborate sequined gowns thing bad might come her the Nuestra Belleza Ven- some contestants to work remains prevalent. The
and pricey cosmetic sur- way, she knows how to ezuela contest, a pack of as escorts for high-ranking #MeToo movement that
geries are out of reach for ward it off." teens and 20-something government officials in ex- has toppled the careers of
most in a country where After oil, beauty queens women donned towering change for glimmering Hollywood luminaries and
inflation is running in the may be Venezuela's big- heels and coated their lips jewels, elegant gowns and political heavyweights has
five digits and state work- gest export: Women from in glossy pink hues before cosmetic surgeries. registered little more than a
ers earn about $3 a month. the South American nation strutting in front of judges. The Miss Venezuela con- ripple in Venezuela.
Earlier this year the Miss have captured seven Miss Among them was Oxlanie- test suspended operations Few believe that Venezu-
Venezuela pageant was Universe titles and crown la Oropeza, a law student, amid the outcry. elan pageants are likely to
rocked by accusations that holders have gone on to who said the recent Miss Sousa has denied any emulate the recent deci-
some contenders finance notable careers as ac- Venezuela scandal hadn't claims suggesting he sion by the Miss America
their journey to the crown tresses, journalists and even quashed her ambitions. played a role in helping pageant to nix the swimsuit
by finding wealthy men to presidential candidates. "My values are intact and contestants find so-called segment.
pay for gowns and surger- When the annual Miss Ven- no one can take that away "sponsors" and several can- "Physical beauty is seen as
ies in exchange for sex. ezuela pageant is aired from me," she said. "From didates have spoken out a value," Pineda said. "And
But even alarming charges on television, millions tune the time I was 6 years old, in his defense. Still, mul- it's given more importance
like those have done little in, paralyzed in suspense my goal has been to be- tiple women have come than any other attribute."
to deter young women as contestants parade on come Miss Venezuela." forward to say that find- Colls still remembers watch-
like Colls, whose parents stage in neon-colored bi- In Venezuela, one man has ing a well-off man to back ing the Miss Venezuela
have enrolled her in one kinis while their measure- ruled as king in transform- their pageant aspirations pageant with her family at
of Venezuela's top model- ments are read aloud and ing fledgling ingenues into has long been a common 6-years-old and then steal-
ing schools despite their they answer questions like flawless beauty queens: practice. ing her mom's high heels to
modest income in hopes of how they would draw peo- Osmel Sousa. Patricia Velasquez, a con- imitate the beauty queens
transforming their daughter ple back to the waning Ro- The so-called "Czar of Beau- testant in the 1989 Miss on screen.
into a beauty queen. man Catholic church. ty" led the Miss Venezuela Venezuela pageant, wrote "It's inspiring," she said, her
"I hope the values and ed- As the nation plummets into pageant for nearly four in her memoir about feeling lips curling into a smile at
ucation I am instilling in my economic ruin, even more decades before leaving obliged to enter a relation- the memory. "It's something
daughter serve her well," young women are holding the organization in Febru- ship with an older man who beautiful to see them com-
said Lisbeth Linarez, the fast to dreams of becom- ary as accusations spread found her an apartment pete and share their talent
teen's mother. ing beauty queens. on social media that or- in Caracas and paid for with the world."q