It was truly something that almost everyone wanted to happen but it was not anticipated.

Venezuela is a country that you'll always eventually see at the finals but this time around, it didn't ensue and many beauty-watchers weren't expecting this. This scenario is something that some countries complaining about the "sash factor" at Miss Universe would like to happen. With 4 winners and 33 finalists, Venezuela had always been a formidable force at Miss Universe. This of course created praises - and envy from other participating nations.

The 2004 edition of the pageant experienced something that never occured since 1983. The exclusion of Ana Teresa Oropeza from the semifinalists' roster at Miss Universe 1982 was redeemed by Paola Ruggeri the following year by finishing as a semifinalist. The magic continued as year-by-year, Venezuelan delegates raked attention and became a superpower nation at beauty pageants.

The strength of Venezuela is no less accidental. The foundation of its fame relies on good sponsorship, a rich and diverse source of fine-looking delegates, as well as the hard work of one man whose name echoes in the four corners of the beauty pageant world - Osmel Sousa. Osmel is considered a magician turning down earth women into crown grabbers. As the main man in charge of La Quinta Miss Venezuela, Osmel embellishes the beauties in accordance to the Miss Universe standards. What's his secret formula? We're not that sure but total makeover and surgeries are definite parts of it.

Many countries actually sought Osmel's help, some of those raked up a good success. It is also through his hands that the name Venezuela became synonymous with a beauty pageant crown and it was largely credited to him that Venezuelans are now ardent fans of Miss Universe. After all, it is in this area that their country became famous.

The end of Venezuela's fairy tale story is something that both puzzles and worries us. The puzzling part is how an 18-year-old blonde bombshell like Ana Karina Añez failed to overcome the preliminary hurdle. Many analysts had banked on the fact that she somehow represents Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado- also a Venezuelan that made Ana Karina a favorite. Stunning on swimsuit and well prepared on interviews, the vital factor perhaps that led to her downfall is her disastrous gown.

Venezuela's failure to overcome the fashion faux pas is one major reason we found on why Ana Karina failed to continue the Venezuelan golden age. Wrong choice of color (light beige) and that odd cut at the skirt contrast heavily to the strong and vivacious color choices of say Miss USA Shandi Finnessy (first runner-up) and Miss Australia Jennifer Hawkins (Miss Universe 2004).

We also noticed her lackluster presentation in both gown & swimsuit preliminary competitions. Something in Ana was missing as she glided onstage. She lost two trademarks of a typical Venezuelan beauty-competitor --- "sparkle & vivaciousness."


Another line of reasoning that observers brought up regarding the puzzling exclusion of Miss Venezuela in Miss Universe 2004 was the so-called rivalry between the beauty pageant powerhouses: USA & Venezuela. It is interesting to note that Venezuela is about to outclass USA in terms of the longest semifinal-showings streak. From 1952-1975, the United States ruled the Miss Universe pageant as American beauties regularly makes it as a semifinalist, to say the least. Conversely, Venezuela was unassailable at Miss Universe from 1983-2003 but their road to glorification was hampered when Ana Karina failed to penetrate the Top 15.