Miss Venezuela drops out of pageant

theage.com.au Saturday 17 May 2003, 10:05 AM

For the first time in four decades, Miss Venezuela won't compete in the Miss Universe pageant because of economic problems in the South American country renown for its beauty queens.

The Miss Venezuela Organisation announced today it was unable to obtain US dollars needed to send a candidate to the June 3 pageant in Panama.

"The decision not to send Miss Venezuela to this prestigious international contest came after we exhausted all our efforts to send on our usual and always distinguished representation," Miss Venezuela said in a statement on its website. "But the serious political and economic crisis Venezuela is going through has posed an obstacle insurmountable for the moment."

In the past 24 years, the Miss Venezuela Organisation's contestants have won the three most important international beauty contests 12 times - more than any other country.

Venezuela has won four Miss Universe crowns, five Miss World crowns and three Miss International titles. The last time Venezuela didn't participate in Miss Universe was 1959.

In January, President Hugo Chavez's government imposed strict foreign exchange controls to stop panic dollar-buying and protect its depleting international reserves amid a failed general strike to force his ouster.

The controls have prevented most private businesses from obtaining dollars. The government had granted $US155 million ($A242.4 million) since January 21, compared to Venezuela's usual monthly demand of $US1 billion ($A1.56 billion).

Miss Venezuela president Osmel Sousa said on Tuesday that his organisation needed $US80,000 ($A125,000) to send Mariangel Ruiz, a tall 23-year-old brunette, to Miss Universe.The organisation had the funds in the local bolivar currency but could not convert them into dollars.

Government officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment.