The Miami Herald, Posted on Sat, May. 17, 2003 BY DANIEL CHANG dchang@herald.com

It's almost like Switzerland missing the Winter Olympics.

Unable to buy enough dollars, Venezuela says it can't compete in the Miss Universe pageant for the first time in 44 years.

Venezuelans consider feminine beauty their second greatest national resource, after petroleum. So the Miss Venezuela Organization's inability to come up with about $80,000 to send reigning beauty Mariangel Ruiz to Panama for the June 3 pageant is an ugly blow.

''This is very painful,'' said Barbara Palacios Teyde, Miss Venezuela and Miss Universe 1986, who now lives in Weston.

Earlier this year, President Hugo Chavez imposed foreign exchange controls.

In the past 24 years, a Miss Venezuela contestant has won Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International a total of 12 times -- tops for that period. Half the country watches the national pageant, and among Venezuelans, there's sure to be a profound sense of loss. Said Palacios Teyde: ``Never . . . has there been a situation like this.''

<a href=www.orlandosentinel.com>Orlando SentinelFrom Wire reports Posted May 17, 2003

CARACAS, Venezuela -- The country that has won more major beauty pageants in recent years than any other won't be offering a candidate for Miss Universe for the first time in decades.

The Miss Venezuela Organization said Friday that the country's strict foreign-exchange controls, imposed amid a general strike earlier this year, haveprevented the group from obtaining the currency it needs 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 our usual and always distinguished representative," the organization said in a statement on its Web site. "But the serious political and economic crisis Venezuela is going through has posed an obstacle insurmountable for the moment."

The president of Miss Venezuela Organization, Osmel Sousa, said Tuesday that hisgroup needed $80,000 for the franchise fee to send Mariangel Ruiz, a tall, 23-year-old brunette, to Miss Universe. The organization has the money in the local bolivar currency buthas not been able to exchange themfor dollars.

Edgar Hernandez, the president of the government agency in charge of authorizing dollar sales, said he was not aware that the organization had applied for the dollars.

Hernandez said he was looking intothe matter and would consider granting the money if the organization submitted an application.

In the past 24 years, Miss Venezuela Organization's contestants have won the three most important international beauty contests 12 times.

Venezuela has won four Miss Universe crowns, five Miss World crowns and three Miss International titles.

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.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, May 16, 2003 By: Jose Gregorio Pineda & Jose Gabriel Angarita

VenAmCham's Jose Gregorio Pineda (chief economist) and Jose Gabriel Angarita (economist) write: After more than 110 days of "foreign exchange restriction," the Foreign Exchange Administration Commission (CADIVI) has distributed $8,000 to national industry, out of a total of US$1.2 billion set aside to meet the pent-up demand accumulated since January 21, 2003. This distribution generates no expectation whatsoever of an improvement in foreign exchange rationing.

While this was happening, the national government decreed the Exceptional Economic & Social Development Plan through Supply of Food & Other Products which Complement the Basic Consumption Basket ... the program, published in Official Gazette No. 37689, calls for a $261 million investment to purchase 501,000 tonnes of foods in the next 180 days.

We initially expected the exchange controls to function as a "residual system" for the private sector, with discretionary handling only in favor of the public sector or favored beneficiaries. But our initial expectations have come up short; the facts have turned out to be far more adverse for the private sector and not even this first payout of foreign exchange suffices to overcome the idea that a continuation of this rate of foreign exchange distribution will provoke a drastic contraction of the private sector and foster the State's transformation into the supplier of the goods and services needed for consumption.

BBC

Mariangel Ruiz: Following in a long tradition of 'Misses'

For years Venezuela has been renowned for its beauty queens - their success a source of national pride.

But this year, for the first time in more than four decades, the country will not be taking part in the Miss Universe beauty pageant.

Venezuela's economic and political crisis has, it seems, shattered the dreams of the reigning Miss Venezuela, Mariangel Ruiz, to compete in Panama on 3 June.

The Miss Venezuela organisation on Friday said they could not get the dollars needed to pay her entry fee because of the government's tight currency controls.

These were imposed in January to stop panic buying of dollars and so protect the country's dwindling international reserves.

Miss Venezuela organisers said in a statement on their website that they had tried every means to obtain the money.

"But the serious political and economic crisis Venezuela is going through has posed an insurmountable obstacle for the moment."

Dollar fee

The organisers felt deep sorrow at being obliged to pull out of the pageant, the statement added.

They hoped the country's crisis would soon be over so "once again the intelligence and beauty of Venezuelan women can stand out in the international sphere."

The organisation's president, Osmel Sousa, said they needed $80,000 to send Mariangel Ruiz, a tall 23-year-old brunette, to Miss Universe, the Associated Press news agency reported.

They have the funds in the local currency, the bolivar, but cannot exchange them into dollars.

Miss Ruiz said she was "deeply affected" by the situation, as she was hoping to represent the country's "hopes and expectations" in the competition, Reuters news agency reported.

Venezuela has won more international beauty contests in the past 25 years than any other country.