Latest news with #MissVenezuela
Newsweek
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Miss Universe Star's Death Saddens Fans As Tributes Pour In
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Patricia Fuenmayor, a television presenter and former beauty queen, has died at the age of 51 after a battle with cancer. The news of Fuenmayor's death on Monday morning was confirmed during a live broadcast of Despierta América, the Univision morning show where she had worked for years. Co-host Raúl González was visibly moved as he announced her passing. Fuenmayor first rose to prominence in 1997 as a finalist in the Miss Venezuela competition and was later crowned Miss South America. Despite her success in pageantry, she transitioned into journalism, building a respected media career across Latin America. She worked with Venevisión, E! Latinoamérica and Teledeporte, and hosted her own show, De Boca en Boca, where she welcomed guests including Shakira and Marc Anthony. Patricia Fuenmayor poses for a photographer on Wednesday, September 28, 2016, at the studios of the television station TELEVEN. Patricia Fuenmayor poses for a photographer on Wednesday, September 28, 2016, at the studios of the television station TELEVEN. William Dumont / El Nacional/GDA via AP Images In 2015, following the kidnapping of her husband in Venezuela, she emigrated to the United States with her family. Settling in New York, she started anew and quickly found a place at Univision's Al Despertar, eventually joining Despierta América. Her direct yet warm communication style earned her both professional respect and popularity among viewers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fuenmayor candidly spoke about her own experience contracting the virus in 2021, aiming to support others facing similar struggles. Fuenmayor leaves behind her husband, surgeon Jorge Safar Perez, and two children, a daughter, 14, and younger son. Her former colleagues and fans took to social media to express their grief and share memories. "A deep sorrow for those who knew her and shared her life. Life is only a moment," wrote anchor Elyangelica Gonzalez on X, formerly Twitter. Her co-host Raúl González wrote on Instagram: "Today, we hug her husband, her two children, and her entire family. We join in their pain... But we also celebrate his life. Patricia isn't leaving at all. She stays in every memory, every report, every conversation that ended with a laugh of her own... We will always remember her like this: with that warmth, that elegance and that gift of people that only she had." The Venezuelan host had over 200,000 followers on Instagram, where she frequently posted messages of hope and moments from her family life. Venezuelan model Edinson Jose Calderon Perez wrote on Facebook: "With deep pain, we bid farewell to our dear Patricia Fuenmayor, our beautiful queen, model, mother, journalist, friend and a great Venezuelan. A passionate woman, professional and always dedicated to her informative work." He added, "Thank you, Patricia, for your light, your delivery and your smile. We will always remember you."
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Patricia Fuenmayor, Former Miss South America Winner and Venezuelan TV Presenter, Dies at 51
Patricia Fuenmayor died at the age of 51 after a battle with cancer, according to Despierta América Fuenmayor worked as a New York correspondent for the Venezuelan news outlet prior to her death She previously competed in pageants, winning Miss South America in 1998Patricia Fuenmayor has died. Univision's Venezuelan news outlet, where the journalist worked, called Despierta América, announced her death on Instagram on Monday, June 9. She was 51. "We deeply regret the passing of Patricia Fuenmayor, our colleague and correspondent in New York,' the post read. 'May she rest in peace." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Despierta America (@despiertamerica) The comments flooded with heartfelt messages from those who loved Fuenmayor. Many expressed shock, with one writing: 'How come God? What happened to Patricia?' Another said, 'I can't believe this 💔💔💔.' Her fellow television presenters also mourned the loss. 'What a great pain Patricia!' anchor Elyangelica Gonzalez wrote. 'May God receive you in his holy glory, give strength to your family and comfort your beloved children. The sky today is much prettier with your arrival.' Astrid Rivera echoed that sentiment, calling the news 'painful.' 'Good colleague, tremendous journalist, and excellent woman and mother,' she continued. 'Rest in Peace beautiful. We will miss you as a team work and the world will miss a beautiful woman like you.' Angie Perez commented: 'Beautiful friend 😢 Rest in the peace of the Lord that passes all understanding 🙏🏻 I pray for your children and your husband: that it is Christ filling that void in their hearts that leaves your departure. I'm so sorry 😞💔.' Raúl González, a host on Despierta América, later revealed that Fuenmayor had been battling cancer. "This is news we don't like to share,' he said on the June 9 episode of the program. 'The Despierta América family has suffered a great loss. Our friend and colleague Patricia Fuenmayor passed away early this morning after a tough battle with cancer.' "A passionate, professional woman, always dedicated to her reporting,' he concluded. 'Thank you, Patricia, for your light, your dedication, and your smile. We will always remember you.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Fuenmayor last posted on her social media to celebrate her family on Valentine's Day. She was married to Jorge Safar Perez, a surgeon, and the pair shared a daughter and a son together. In addition to her successful career as a TV presenter, Fuenmayor was a pageant queen. She was a finalist in the 1997 Miss Venezuela competition and was crowned Miss South America in 1998. Read the original article on People
Express Tribune
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Former beauty queen and Univision TV host, Patricia Fuenmayor dies at 51
Patricia Fuenmayor, a Venezuelan television presenter and former beauty queen, has died at the age of 51 after a battle with cancer. The news was confirmed by Univision's Despierta América, where she worked as a correspondent in New York. In a post shared on Instagram, the show wrote, 'We deeply regret the passing of Patricia Fuenmayor, our colleague and correspondent in New York. May she rest in peace.' Fuenmayor first rose to public prominence when she represented Zulia in the 1997 Miss Venezuela pageant, where she placed among the Top 8 finalists. Although she did not win the national crown, she went on to represent Venezuela internationally and was crowned Reina Sudamericana 1997 in Bolivia, a title that gave her broader recognition across Latin America. After her pageant success, Fuenmayor transitioned into television journalism, becoming a well-known figure on Univision's Despierta América and Edición Digital. Her engaging personality and dedication to her craft earned her respect among colleagues and audiences alike. In her final Instagram post on January 1, 2025, Fuenmayor shared a holiday photo with her family, wishing her followers joy and blessings for the new year. The post read, 'Happy 2025!!!🥂May this new year bring a thousand blessings to your homes... Health, Well-being, Joy and Abundance... From my family to yours... Happiness✨🙏🏼.' Tributes have poured in from friends, fans, and fellow journalists. TV anchor Elyangelica Gonzalez wrote, 'What a great pain Patricia! May God receive you in his holy glory, give strength to your family and comfort your beloved children.' Fuenmayor is survived by her husband, Jorge Safar Pérez, and their children. A memorial is expected to be held in her honor.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kristi Noem Refuses ‘Proof-Of-Life' Request For Gay Makeup Artist Trump Doomed To Salvadoran Hellhole
The U.S. homeland security secretary on Wednesday refused to confirm whether a gay makeup artist disappeared by the Trump administration to an infamous Salvadoran prison two months ago was even alive. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the man, Andry Hernández Romero, was simply not her problem. Hernández Romero is the one of hundreds of people banished by the United States to the notorious prison camp without charge or trial. 'This individual is in El Salvador, and the appeal would be best made to the president, and to the government, of El Salvador,' Noem told Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) during a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee. Garcia kept pushing, asking Noem to request a 'proof-of-life' for Hernández Romero from the government of El Salvador. 'This is not under my jurisdiction,' Noem said. Despite Noem's prevaricating, the administration has every ability to check on its detainees in El Salvador's Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT, as President Donald Trump has admitted. The administration made a multimillion-dollar deal with El Salvador to house detainees, and Noem herself has called the foreign prison 'one of the tools in our toolkit' — belying any claim that U.S. detainees, once on Salvadoran soil, are no longer subject to U.S. detention. An ongoing legal battle centers on this concept, known as 'constructive custody': The Trump administration considers the detainees to be in El Salvador's custody; lawyers advocating for the U.S. detainees' rights say they're owed their day in U.S. court. Hernández Romero is one of the more noteddetainees shipped by the Trump administration to CECOT, partly because a photojournalist in El Salvador, Philip Holsinger, identified him specifically, crying and shouting 'I'm innocent' and 'I'm gay' as CECOT guards shaved his head. Pursuing an asylum claim in the United States, Hernández Romero made an appointment to enter the country on the app formerly known as CBP One. He passed a credible fear interview, which should have allowed him to stay in the United States as his asylum case proceeded. (People who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization still have the right to claim asylum, but both former President Joe Biden and Trump have undermined this right.) Still, Hernández Romero was detained once he arrived in the country, and never left detention. Instead, he was accused of being a gang member by the administration, seemingly due to his tattoos, and the assessment of a disgraced former police officer working for a U.S. private prison company. 'He's not in a gang. He's a makeup artist who worked at Miss Venezuela,' his attorney, Lindsay Toczylowski, told The Advocate last month. 'His social media is full of beauty queens. The only crowns he touches are made of rhinestones.' Alongside at least 287 others, Hernández Romero was disappeared by the administration to CECOT, where he has been out of touch from his family and lawyers for two months. Noem's acknowledgement that 'this individual is in El Salvador' is more than most U.S. CECOT detainees get — for hundreds of people expelled to the prison camp from the United States, neither the U.S. nor Salvadoran governments have even acknowledged their detention, in what manyconsider to be 'enforced disappearances' under international law. Historians Are 'Shocked' By What They've Seen Trump Do In Just 100 Days Human Rights Groups File Emergency Petition Over Trump Expulsions To Salvadoran Mega-Prison Top Human Rights Official Rings Alarm Bells About Trump Policy
Miami Herald
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Meet some of the candidates who will compete in Miss Universe Cuba this year
Miss Universe Cuba now has its 20 official candidates who will compete in Hialeah this summer to see who goes to the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand in November. The winner will also receive another title this year: Queen of the 100th Anniversary of the City of Hialeah. Last year, Hialeah hosted the first Miss Universe Cuba contest with Marianela Ancheta winning the crown. The search for the most beautiful Cuban woman began in January, with 250 applicants. Twenty-five finalists were selected, and on Thursday, the finalists were narrowed down to 20 after three in-person auditions, the last held on April 30 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Doral. This year's contestants features a mix of well-known faces and social media darlings. In addition to charm and communication skills, Miss Universe Cuba contestants must either have been born on the island or have one parent that is Cuban. Daughter of a Cuban celebrity in Miss Universe The judges this year included last year's Miss Universe Cuba, Marianela Ancheta; stylist Carlos Sigas; Gallia Vega, a fitness model and candidate for Miss Universe Cuba in 2024; Miguel Ángel García, official makeup artist for Miss Venezuela; Tenay Rodríguez, influencer, businesswoman, and television presenter, who was part of the panel of judges that selected Miss Universe Cuba last year; makeup artist Eugenio Rodríguez; and photographer Michel Milian, who took the photos of Ancheta wearing the Ochún-themed outfit she wore on the preliminary night of the Miss Universe pageant. 'Congratulations to each and every one of you, the new Miss Universe Cuba 2025 candidates,' said Ancheta at the Thursday event, dressed in a black skirt with matching floral details and a white blouse. 'I celebrate and embrace you, because I know what you're feeling today… the nerves, the excitement, the dreams. Cuba deserves to shine, and together we can make its light reach further than ever.' Lina Luaces, daughter of Lili Estefan, host of Univision's El Gordo y la Flaca, and businessman Lorenzo Luaces, was one of the finalists who caused a buzz. Luaces works as a model and has done runway shows in New York Fashion Week and other cities such as her native Miami. 'My mom and I spent weeks preparing for this casting. I'm very excited, and it's an honor because Cuba is part of my roots,' said Luaces, who said she preferred competing to represent Cuba instead of the United States, where she was born. 'I didn't even think about it. I wanted it to be Cuba to honor my family and my roots,' Lina said, according to Hola. 'I have always said I feel more Cuban than American, because that's how I grew up, with the values I have, the food I eat.' Miss Universe candidate criticizes the Cuban regime Another contender is social media star Mia Dio, a gorgeous blonde with one million of followers who come to her for funny content. She recently announced that she was a candidate for the crown in one of her posts. 'I have a confession to make. My name is Mia Angelina Donadio Cancio, and my mother is Cuban. I am currently a preselected candidate for Miss Universe Cuba 2025,' she said, before strongly condemning the Cuban regime for the inequality that plagues the country, especially against women, who lack laws to protect them from violence and femicide. 'I don't want to be the most beautiful woman in the world, but the one who says it the loudest—I want to tell you what is happening in Cuba,' Donadio said in the post. 'It is a communist country, and you would think that means equality, especially for women. Free education, free healthcare, and half of Parliament being made up of women. Does that seem progressive? But this is what they don't show you; there is no national law against gender violence, the government doesn't have a hotline to report these cases, and right now, a very serious situation is happening that no one is talking about. In 2023, at least 83 women died at the hands of their partners or ex-partners,' she denounced in English. Donadio also participated in the Univision pageant show, Nuestra Belleza Latina in 2021. The influencer and comedian, who performs her stand-up routine in English, has Latin American heritage from both parents. Her father, born in Argentina, was a cameraman for Univision for many years. 'He inspired me to start creating content when I was 14,' said Donadio, who addressed Cuban women directly. 'Sisters, visibility is power, and if the Cuban government isn't going to say your names, I will,' she said in a video on her Instagram profile, concluding with the phrase that led Cubans to protest on July 11, 2021, 'Patria y Vida (Homeland and Life.)' Miami mother and businesswoman to compete Indiana Williams is another candidate for the crown. She is a mother and entrepreneur who founded an event planning company more than a decade ago. 'In my skin and in my heart I carry the history, strength, and passion of my homeland. Representing my country at Miss Universe Cuba is not just an honor, it's a mission. It's time to raise our voices, to show that Cuba has beauty, intelligence, elegance, and an unstoppable spirit,' Williams said. 'A new story begins… and I promise to live it with the strength of a woman, the tenderness of a mother, and the fire of a dreamer who never gave up,' she said about her journey to the Miss Universe Cuba finals. Official Miss Universe Cuba Candidates Also included in this group of 20 young women born in Cuba or with Cuban roots are: Anabella Urquiola; Angelica Roque, Ariday Villar, Claudia Ramos, Claudia Fernández, Deneb Morales, Emely Artabe, Glenda Verdecia, Katherine Núñez; Lianet Aguilera Sarmiento; Linnet Mustafat Arcial; Lisbeth Fernández; María Díaz; Romy Alvarez; Sheila Laza; Stefany Parli; and Vanessa García.
