It's been two years since Nastassja Bolivar won the Nuestra Belleza Latina competition and now she will be competing at the Miss Universe 2013 beauty pageant.
Born in the United States, Bolivar comes from a Niacaraguan mother and Colombian father. However, the model has considered herself Nicaraguan since birth.
Bolivar rose to fame when she auditioned for the beauty realty show Nuestra Belleza Latina. Before the competition she was studying at the Miami International University where she planned to major in fashion merchandising. However, she auditioned for the contest and competed against hundreds of contestants for a spot in the top 12. During the competition Bolivar was heavily criticized for her Spanish accent, yet she was praised by the judges for her confidence on stage.
The model almost lost the competition, but thanks to her popularity and persistence the judges did not eliminate her. On May 22, 2011, the model was crowned as the fifth Nuestra Belleza Latina and won $250,000 in cash and prizes. She was also awarded a one-year contract with Univision working with Don Francisco.
After she finished her contract she set her prospects on the Miss Nicaragua crown because she wanted to represent her native country. The model went to the prestigious pageant where she was heavily criticized for not being born in Nicaragua. Many protesters mentioned that she did not know the culture and that she did not know Spanish. Additionally, Bolivar went into the competition as the favorite to win the crown and even intimidated some of her fellow contestants to leave the contest. However, she persevered amidst the criticism. Bolivar said the attacks helped her grow as a person and only strengthened her resolve. After the controversy Bolivar went on to win the crown during the 62nd edition.
Having won the Miss Nicaragua beauty contest, the model will now represent the country in Miss Universe 2013 in Moscow, Russia on November 9, 2013.
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