Miss Universe, Irene Sáez Conde, Miss Venezuela. July 20, 1981. (Photo by Jerry Engel/New York Post Archives /(c) NYP Holdings, Inc. via Getty Images)
Irene Lailin Sáez Conde is more known worldwide as Miss Universe 1981. But in her country of Venezuela, neighboring South American countries and Latin American communities, she is credited for transforming the beauty queen platform into a growing political career that spanned from 1990 to 2000. Before she ran for public office, she finished a Political Science degree at the Central University of Venezuela and followed it up by becoming the country’s Cultural Representative to the United Nations expanding the international contacts developed into the realm of culture and diplomacy.
Irene as Mayor of Chacao
From 1990-1997, she served as Mayor of Chacao – a wealthy municipality in Caracas.
The former Miss Universe campaigning in the violent ‘barrio Petare’ a district of Caracas during the 1998 Presidential Election in her country. (Photo by John van Hasselt/Sygma via Getty Images)
It was in 1998 when Irene made the move to run for President of Venezuela. She formed her own party, aptly named Integrated Representation of New Hope (IRENE). And while she made a mark all throughout her campaign, she ended the race a distant third with only 2.82% of the votes.
Irene and husband Serafin Garcia
Irene is now based in Miami where she has been residing since 2003. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Colonial BancGroup, South Florida region.
Irene welcomed a victorious Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado during the latter’s homecoming. (Photo by Eric VANDEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Haynakoh. Nakita ko na naman si Pilin Leon, the Annabelle Rama of Venezuela. 🙂
Chacao looks like HK, with the geometric architecture of a few buildings, against foggy green hills.
Guaido said in a recent patch-up to an independent India news channel that Venezuela will essentially succumb to CoV19. 😦
Venezuela is home to Cattleya mossiae, currently in bloom worldwide. It is the “Easter Cattleya”, as the flowering season is in the Spring. La forma alba es muy encanta!
I wonder how the Floridian lock down is going…. All the USA news I get is on NY, and those Americans who insist on their right to freedom of assembly, mobility, that the pandemic is a hoax.
My sentimental favorites that year were Belgium and Tahiti …
With the economic downturn Venezuela is currently experiencing, could she have navigated Venezuela to a better direction, economy wise, had she won the Presidency? Sayang, she was not given that chance.