Miss Peru
Peru has been competing in the Miss Universe pageants for over 50 years. Their 1st ever representative was Ada Gabriela Bueno in 1952. 5 years later, It became the 1st Hispanic country to win the Miss Universe crown when Gladys Zender became Miss Universe in 1957. As of the new century, Peru started to shine back into the international beauty pageant scene. Claudia Ortiz De Zevallos was a semi-finalist in the 2003 Miss Universe competition held in Panama. Liesel Holler failed to land in the semi-finals in 2004 but Debora Sulca made Peru's name come back in the contest of 2005 placing 6th. Peru has a total of 16 finalists and 1 winner in this annual world-wide contest.
Miss Peru World missed the annual pageant in the first few decades and haven't had much finalists in the Miss World contest although Peru has won the Miss World crown 2 times. In 2002, Claudia Hernández made to the semifinalists and in 2003, Marina Mora placed third, just one year before Maria Julia mantilla got the crown in 2004, making a great come back for Peru in this contest. Candidates who participate in Miss Peru and make the top 10 will be sent to compete in other minor pageants from now on such as Miss Asia Pacific, Miss Maja Mundial, etc.
The Official Miss Peru Organization is now Reinas Del Peruwhere the chosen winner will travel to the Miss Universe, Miss World or any other minor pageant held outside Peru.
History
In the 1950's, Peru was one of the few South American or hispanic countries to ever compete in an international pageant such as Miss Universe or Miss World. It became a powerhouse having semi-finalists from the '50's through out the '60's and known for bringing Latin America their first ever Miss Universe. In 1967, Peru won the crown for the first time in the Miss World competition with Madeleine Hartog Bell, ten years exaclty from having Gladys Zender win the Miss Universe competition in 1957. It would be decades until Peru would taste another international victory in the beauty pageant field. In December of 2004, María Julia Mantilla García won the title of Miss World again, thanks to a world-wide vote by text message and telephone calls, a first in pageant history. First-runner up was Claudia Cruz from Dominican Republic, and the second-runner up was Brazilian-born Nancy Randall representing the United States. As of 2005, Peru has won one Miss Universe title and two Miss World titles.
Fiorella Castellano was crowned Miss Peru World 2005 and represented Peru in December 10th, 2005 where the pageant took place in Sanya, for a third time in a row. This year Fiorella failed to land in the semi-finals. Her chances of winning were low, but there was still a chance she might've made it a back-to-back win since India and United Kingdom are two countries that have achieved that in Miss World history.
On April 16th, 2005, Miss Cajamarca, Debora Sulca was crowned Miss Peru Universe and competed in Thailand this past May for the title of Miss Universe 2005. She placed 6th while Miss Canada, Natalie Glebova became the new Miss Universe.
Tracy Freundt, who was first-runner up and a crowd favourite for the title in the Miss Peru 2005 pageant, continues to work on the popular show "Habacilar" in Lima.
Regions
In the Miss Peru annual pageant, 25 regions compete for the Miss Peru Universe or Miss Peru World crown. The top 10 are selected from the group and then it comes down to the top 5. The Winner of the chosen pageant is chosen and a new representative has been named Miss Peru.
The current Peruvian regions that sent a contestant are:
Notable Winners
After winning the Miss Universe crown, Gladys Zender became very popular and well known in her country of Peru. She later married and is the mother of a successful peruvian actor, Christian Meier.
Jessica Newton, Miss Peru 1987, became charge of the Miss Peru pageant until 2004. Many said she hand picked the winner of the pageant due to favouritism. She later critized the crowning of Miss Peru 2005, Debora Sulca and also said that Maju Mantilla's Miss World victory was like the cherry on top for her departure from the Miss Peru organization. When asked about Jessica Newton, the reigning Miss World said she never had the opportunity to meet her.
When she arrived in Lima after her Miss World win, Maju Mantilla was received by dozens of people in the Jorge Chavez International airport. Like Gladys, Maju also became known and popular in her country. She has considered an acting or modeling career after she crowned her successor, but as of now, she is going to enroll in a University located in Lima.
After her appearance in Miss Universe, Debora Sulca was approached by Telemundo.
Other wins
Not only has a peruvian woman won a Miss Universe or Miss World title. There are other international pageants in which Peru has achieved success in either entering the semi-finals or winning the crown.
Wins: Miss Caribe Hibiscus, Miss Asia Pacific, Mrs. World
Runner up or Semi-final entries: Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss Maja Mundial, Reina Sudamericana
List
The following is a list of the Miss Universe and Miss World candidates from Peru. Some delegates who won the chance to represent Peru in the Miss Universe pageant also went to the Miss World pageant.
Miss Peru Universe
- 1952: Ada Gabriela Bueno
- 1953: Mary Ann Sarmiento, Semi-Finalist
- 1954: Isabella Velarde, Semi-Finalist
- 1955:
- 1956: Lola Sabogal, Semi-Finalist
- 1957: Gladys Zender, MISS UNIVERSE 1957
- 1958: Beatriz Boluarte, Semi-Finalist
- 1959: Luperia Mariátegui Hawkins
- 1960: Medadit Gallino Rey
- 1961: Carmella Stein, Semi-Finalist
- 1962: Silvia Dedeking
- 1963: Dora Toledano
- 1964: Miluska Vondrak
- 1965: Frieda Holler, Semi-Finalist
- 1966: Madeleine Hartog Bell, Semi-Finalist
- 1967: Myrta Calvo
- 1968: Maria Esther Brambilla
- 1969: Maria Julia Mantilla Meyer, Semi-Finalist
- 1970: Cristina Malaga
- 1971: Magnolia Martinez
- 1972: Carmen Amelia Ampuero, Semi-Finalist
- 1973:
- 1974:
- 1975: Olga Berninzon
- 1976: Rocio Lazcano
- 1977: Maria Isabel Frias
- 1978: Olga Roxana Zumaran Burga, Semi-Finalist
- 1979: Jacqueline Brahm
- 1980: Mariailce Ramis
- 1981: Gladys Silva
- 1982: Maria Francesca Zaza Reinoso, Semi-Finalist
- 1983: Vivien Griffiths
- 1984: Fiorella Ferrari
- 1985: Maria Gracia Galleno
- 1986: Karin Lindermann Garcia
- 1987: Jessica Newton, Semi-Finalist
- 1988: Katia Escudero Lozano
- 1989: Mariana Sovero
- 1990: Marisol Martinez
- 1991: Eliana Martinez
- 1992: Aline Arce
- 1993: Deborah D'Souza Peixoto
- 1994: Karina Calmet
- 1995: Paola Deleppiani
- 1996: Natali Sacco, Semi-Finalist
- 1997: Claudia Maria Dopf Scansi
- 1998: Karim Bernal
- 1999: Fabiola Lazzo
- 2000: Veronica Reukner
- 2001: Viviana Rivasplata
- 2002: Adriana Zubeate
- 2003: Claudia Ortiz de Zevallos, Semi-Finalist
- 2004: Liesel Holler
- 2005: Debora Sulca Cravero, Finalist
Miss Peru World
- 1959: Maria Elena Rosell Zapata, 1st runner up
- 1960: Maricruz Gomez Diaz & Irma Vargas Fuller (Miss Peru International)
- 1961: Norma González (Miss International)
- 1962:
- 1963: Lucia Buonanni & Esperanza Moy (Miss International)
- 1964: Gladys Reina Castro
- 1965: Lourdes Cardenas Gilardi & Lola Muro Macher (Miss Peru International)
- 1966: Carmen Elena Rodriguez
- 1967: Madeleine Hartog Bell, MISS WORLD 1967 & Martha Quimper Suárez (Miss Peru International)
- 1968: Ana Rosa Berminzon
- 1969:
- 1970:
- 1971:
- 1972:
- 1973: Mary Núñez
- 1974:
- 1975: Mary Orfanides Canakis
- 1976: Rocio Rita Lazcano
- 1977: Maria Isabel Frias Zavala , Semi-Finalist
- 1978: Karen Ines Noeth Haupt
- 1979: Lucia Magali Perez Godoy Quintanilla
- 1980: Silvia Roxana Vega Ramos
- 1981: Olga Roxana Zumarán Burga
- 1982: Cynthia Mercedes Piedra
- 1983: Lisbet Alcázar
- 1984: Gloria Cristina Loayza-Guerra
- 1985: Carmen del Rosario Muro Tavara
- 1986: Patricia Anne-Marie Kuypers Espejo
- 1987: Suzette Marie Woodman Denegri & Rosario Leguía Nungent (Miss Peru International)
- 1988: Martha Elena Kaik Tosso & Susan León Cavassa (Miss Peru International)
- 1989: Maritza Zorrilla Priori
- 1990: Gisselle Martínez Cuadros
- 1991:
- 1992:
- 1993:
- 1994: Marcia Pérez Marcés
- 1995: Paola Dellepiane Gianotti
- 1996: Mónica Chacón De Vettori
- 1997: Claudia Maria Luque Barrantas & Ana Matallana Illich (Miss Peru International)
- 1998: Mariana Larrabure de Orbegoso, Semi-Finalist & Melissa Miranda Quiñones (Miss Peru International)
- 1999: Wendy Monteverde
- 2000: Tatiana Angulo
- 2001: Viviana Rivas Plata Aita
- 2002: Marina Mora Montero, 2nd runner up
- 2003: Claudia María Hernández Ore, Semi-Finalist
- 2004: Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia, MISS WORLD 2004
- 2005: Fiorella Castellano