While Carolina Robayo is in Brazil preparing for Miss Universe, Colombians voted for the hottest Miss Colombia of recent times in a poll by newspaper El Tiempo.
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1. Carolina Gomez Correa
Representing Bogota she was Miss Colombia 1993-94. After her victory in the Miss Colombia pageant, Gomez took to modeling and acting, which got her roles in numerous soap operas and movies.
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2. Paola Turbay
Paola Turbay was born in Houston, TX, but represented Bogota in the 1991 Miss Colombia election. She came in second in Miss Universe and after focusing on modeling and hosting television shows in Colombia, she became one of Colombia’s most famous actresses on American television. She currently stars in the HBO series “True Blood.”
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3. Paula Andrea Betancourt Arroyave
Paula Andrea Betancourt was born in Medellin, but represented the department of Amazonas when she was elected Miss Colombia 1992-93. Just as many of her fellow-beauty queens she ended up gracing Colombian television, but primarily in reality shows.
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4. Taliana Vargas
Taliana Vargas represented the department of Magdalena. She was Miss Colombia 2007-08 and only inches away from becoming Miss Universe. She is now a famous television personality.
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5. Valerie Dominguez Tarud
Representing the department of Atlantico, Valerie Dominguez became Miss Colombia in 2005. Since then, her career’s kinda gone downhill as she is currently in massive trouble with Colombian justice for her implication in a multi-million subsidy fraud scandal.
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6. Vanessa Alexandra Mendoza Bustos
Vanessa Mendoza, born in the Pacific department of Choco, became the first Afro-Colombian to be Miss Colombia in 2001. Prior to winning Miss Colombia, Mendoza had become the only contestant of the pageant’s 2001 version not to admit having a plastic surgery done for the contest. Following her victory, Mendoza was popularly called “Black Barbie”
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7. Claudia Elena Vasquez
Representing the department of Antioquia, Claudia Elena Vasquez was crowned Miss Colombia in 1996. The following year she was awarded the “best national costume” award at Miss Universe. Vasquez is the wife of popular vallenato singer Carlos Vives with who she had one child.
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8. Eileen Roca Torralvo
While born in Brazil, Eileen Roca represented the department of Cesar in 2006 when she was crowned Miss Colombia. Her taking part in Miss Universe was widely considered a failure. After her return to Colombia, Roca studied communication and journalism to be able to make it as a television host on Colombian national television, but never really was able to succeed.
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9. Andrea Maria Noceti Gomez
From Cartagena, Andrea Maria Noceti Gomez was crowned Miss Colombia in 2000. She never made it to the semi-finals of Miss Universe and has since then slipped into oblivion.
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10. Adriana Cecilia Tarud Duran
Adriana Tarud was representing the department of Atlantico when becoming Miss Colombia in 2004. Tarud was the granddaughter of former minister Argelino Duran Quintero who had been assassinated by guerrilllas years before her victory. She failed to impress at Miss Universe.