21 top honors for Latinas since 2001, three wins in a row

By Eve Schwartz

Navarrete keeps abreast of Latin Miss Uni heritage

LAS VEGAS (Hollywood Today) 8/24/10 — Latin women are officially the hottest women on and off this world, according to the last decade of Miss Universe pageants, where they have won six out 10.

With the win of twenty-two year old Jimena Navarrete of Guadalajara, (known as Miss Mexico) who was crowned Miss Universe of the 2010 pageant, the run reaches 21 including top 15 runner-ups and winners in the last decade, a tribute to these gorgeous ladies, but does it raise a question about the judging process?

Pageants are becoming more international if only because of modern technology, according to  Navarrete “I do believe that Internet is an indispensable, necessary tool for the present time. We must be sure to teach them the values that we learned as a family.”

Winners have  included 2009 Stefania Fernandez ( Venezuela), 2008 Dayana Mendoza  (Venezuela), 2006 Zuleyka Rivera (Puerto Rico),  2003 Amelia Vega ( Dominican Republic) and 2001 Denise M. Quinones ( Puerto Rico).

In 2005 all runner-ups where Latin, and in 2008 the top three runner-ups as well as the winner were also on top.

Other Latina beauties will be on hand Thursday August 26th At SIR studios in Hollywood for the Latina Beauty Pageant, leading up the finale in Las Vegas on October 10th 2010.

Rima Bek contributed to this report