Greatest regarding the eighties and you will ‘1990’s to own generating in the world charm queens at their school having pageant participants, Sousa ended a beneficial several-seasons drought past month when protege Dayana Mendoza grabbed the new Skip Market 2008 crown into the Vietnam.

Just after taking over while the movie director of your own Miss Venezuela pageant inside 1981, Sousa continued an unbelievable 15-year tear, molding winners of all those worldwide charm contests, and eight Skip Community and Miss Market titles.

“Sousa authored a misconception to have Venezuelan females to live on to,” regional pollster Alfredo Keller said. “In the states, you’ve got the feminine people out of Barbie. Here it is all about the Misses.”

Venezuelan females save money towards the such as for instance things than those of every almost every other Latin nation, Keller told you

The latest legend of the Cuban-created Sousa just like the a latin american Henry Higgins increased out of a keen uncanny talent to own selecting girls from crowds otherwise of catwalks and you can which makes them style queens.

“I really don’t create unattractive females to your beauties. That’s not my business. Also, it’s not necessary. There are lots of breathtaking women in Venezuela. Everything i create is cause them to become perfect,” the fresh new sixty-year-dated said from inside the an interview later last times, nonetheless basking on sparkle of Mendoza’s profit.

Before you to profit July 14, of several observers dreaded Sousa got shed their touch. Zero Miss Venezuela got taken new sine qua low name away from Skip Market as 1996 extreme out of Alicia Machado.

“If not rating an objective when you look at the a dozen decades, of course it will also apply at on your own-believe,” told you Carlos Bardasano, vice-president from Cisneros Classification, the fresh media conglomerate one has the fresh new Skip Venezuela pageant and you can finances Sousa’s academy.

Some theories were floated inside charm-pageant-upset country in the as to the reasons Venezuela try shedding short. “It certainly was not a problem with new raw issue,” told you Keller, this new pollster. “Breathtaking ladies still exist right here.”

Specific told you the new Miss Universe providers is actually weapon-shy about going for several other Venezuelan from inside the light of their knowledge of Machado, just who put on pounds through the this lady year while the identity holder, later presented to possess Playboy and you can has just had children that have a beneficial hitched man.

Anyone else believed that stridently anti-You.S. President Hugo Chavez would-be a controversial piece of luggage you to any the fresh king would need to deal with daily from her leadership.

“A few information is actually forbidden at any pageant: faith and you can government,” told you Jose Briceno, a good school speech and you can acting teacher who’s mentor during the Sousa’s academy. “You can scrub people the wrong manner with those.”

New planning on annual Miss Venezuela pageant kept within the September initiate inside the February, whenever Sousa culls 5,100000 candidates down seriously to 70 and then, fundamentally, to help you twenty six. The 2009 finalists was paraded until the media here has just; as opposed to Skip America contestants, those individuals making the cut do not necessarily come from the fresh Venezuelan claims or other regions they show — he’s tasked him or her. (Why? Sousa wants the most amazing twenty-six people he could look for, even if all of them are from that county.)

For the next a few months, the ladies could well be educated considering an ironclad plan so you’re able to walking, speak, moving and you may express themselves consistent with new Sousa formula. Noses would be narrowed, thighs shorter and boobs increased because of the get it done otherwise operations.

Sousa said the latest newly crowned Mendoza, an international effective model that has spent some time working inside Paris and you will Milan, didn’t you would like far learning. But she had a great “look” that has been as well cool and you can opaque.

Therefore he purchased upwards classes having a beneficial psychotherapist to aid this lady discover the inner Dayana and you can show their so you’re able to “enterprise a natural theatrical ability.”

“Acting concerns showing-off clothes, makeup and you may tresses color however your self,” Briceno, the brand new address mentor, said. “Dayana had based a tiny wall structure doing herself. We’d to tear off you to wall structure.”

Certainly this year’s contestants is actually Maria Veliz, twenty five, a large previous higher-jumper who was simply making a beneficial life because an individual exercise teacher inside the London before carefully deciding to come the place to find choose for brand new crown, “simply to do it.”

“I’m the sort critical hyperlink of lady whom doesn’t smile much, therefore to behave fresh, delighted and you may informal lower than all this tension is really what I’ve to understand,” Veliz said. This lady almost every other priority should be to “slow down the muscle during my feet.”

Sousa and you will manufacturing movie director Joaquin Riviera based the new Skip Venezuela pageant into the an essential house to own Venevision, new Cisneros mass media Television channel that shows the reveal. Extremely decades, this new .

The newest Skip Venezuela pageant and you may Sousa’s university have “a keen incalculable really worth,” Riviera said, in accordance brand new skill pipeline moving to have Venevision’s Television information and you may range shows. Participants are cast in the eight to help you ten detergent operas named telenovelas the mass media large provides on a yearly basis.

However, executives acknowledged you to they’ve skipped brand new shine out of a turn-down World term

Also Chavez, who has got shown disdain to have beauty pageants, took note away from Mendoza’s earn and congratulated her during a broadcast inside July.

The fresh new pit ranging from Skip Universe headings has “taught all of us how hard it’s to help you win,” mentor Briceno told you. “And in addition to believe exactly what we’ve got.”