Mariem Velazco Miss International 2018
Table of Contents
Mariem Velazco is a model and beauty queen known worldwide for her Miss International 2018 title. She represented Venezuela in the 58th edition of Miss International, besting 77 other candidates and being the 8th Miss International titleholder from the country. Here is everything you need to know about the beauty queen:
Fast Facts
| FULL NAME: | Mariem Claret Velazco García |
| FIRST NAME NICKNAME | MARIEM |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 9TH NOVEMBER 1998 |
| BIRTH PLACE | San Tome, Anzoategui, Venezuela |
| PLACE GROWING UP | San Tome, Anzoategui |
| EYES | LIGHT BROWN |
| HAIR | DARK BROWN |
| HEIGHT | 1.77 METERS (5 FEET 10 INCHES) |
| WEIGHT | 55 KILOGRAMS (121 POUNDS) |
| (@mariemvelazco) | |
| PROFESSION | BEAUTY PAGEANT TITLEHOLDER,, MODEL |
| EDUCATION | GEOPHYSICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT |
| NATIONALITY | VENEZUELAN |
| SPOKEN LANGUAGES | ENGLISH, SPANISH |
| MARITAL STATUS | SINGLE |
Early Life and Education
Mariem Velazco was born Mariem Claret Velazco Garcia on November 9, 1998. She was born and raised in San Tome, Anzoategui, Venezuela. She grew up with her sister, Maria Paola Velazco, whose mother is Maria Clara Garcia, while her father is Emiro Velazco, a lawyer.
She was a 5’10” 18-year-old college student of Geophysical Engineering when she joined Miss Barinas in 2017 and won the pageant.
Pageantry
Mariem Velazco’s first beauty pageant title was winning the Miss Barinas 2017 pageant at only 17 years of age. By winning this title, she represented Barinas in the Miss International Venezuela pageant held in the same year.
She bested 23 other candidates in the beauty pageant by winning the title on her 19th birthday, November 9, 2017. She also won awards for Best Style and Most Photogenic.
By winning the Miss International Venezuela 2017 title, she represented the country in the 58th Miss International pageant held in Tokyo, Japan.
With 77 other candidates, it was the first time in the pageant that this many candidates participated. She was a favorite among pageant analysts, who predicted her win early on.
She was often rivaled against Miss Philippines International, Ahtisa Manalo, another frontrunner in the pageant. Ultimately, Velazco took the crown on November 9, 2018, her 20th birthday.
During the pageant night, Velazco wore a Venezuelan native headdress for the National Costume portion of the pageant, while she wore a pearl gown for the evening gown portion of the event.
The crowning was held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall, and crowning Velazco was the Miss International 2017 winner, Kevin Lilliana of Indonesia. Velazco was the 8th winner of Miss International from Venezuela, the country with the highest number of crowns in the pageant.
Her reign lasted for one year and three days. She traveled worldwide to promote and support the Miss International Fund and Foundation, which donates and helps underprivileged children through its partnership with Unicef.
Velazco returned to Tokyo on November 12, 2019, to crown the new winner of the pageant, Sireethorn Leearamwat of Thailand.
Post Miss International
After her reign, Mariem Velazco continued her career as a model in Venezuela, continuing her advocacy and finding her newfound talent and passion in hosting. She is also a brand ambassador for many beauty brands in the country.
Advocacy and Issues
Mariem Velazco’s advocacy when she entered the Miss International pageant in 2018 was reading and education.
She was asked what her birthday wish was in the Question and Answer portion of the pageant for the final five contestants. She answered that people should be encouraged to read to children because reading is the answer to a child’s future.
By giving children access to books and education, exposing kids to storytelling, reading to kids, and giving them the education they need, children will become happier and more educated, which is what the world needs.
She traveled worldwide as Miss International 2018, supporting this advocacy and working with Unicef in connection with the pageant’s foundation.
She traveled to Indonesia, the US, Spain, Ecuador, Panama, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, Dominican Republic, France, China, and Portugal, working with Miss International and Unicef, attending fundraising events, and appearing in special events organized by charitable institutions.
Velazco was also involved in the Miss International Fund, which seeks to promote international goodwill and world peace.
Personal Life
Mariem Velazco is still a student as of October 2022, but she is now studying Liberal Arts. She is a famous content creator, model, and host in Venezuela. She has expressed her love for playing tennis, and she is also taking piano lessons.
She made headlines in 2020 when she and her sister sought the help of netizens for her father, who was in the ICU due to COVID-19 complications. Unfortunately, her father eventually died from the virus.
Special Awards and Achievements
Velazco won two awards at the Miss International Venezuela in 2017: Best Style and Most Photogenic.
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