Dayanara Torres defends Miss Universe win amid Sousa’s criticism

MIAMI, Fla. — Former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres responded to recent comments made by Venezuelan Osmel Sousa, who questioned her 1993 victory in the beauty pageant, suggesting that a contestant from Venezuela should have won instead.

In an interview on the program “El Gordo y la Flaca,” Torres, now 43, defended her crown and emphasized that the results from that night were public and clear. “Everyone has their opinion and opinions are respected, but it also depends on who is asking the question,” she said. “For 32 years, this has been a wound that doesn’t heal, but I understand, and I respect it.”

Torres noted that during the 1990s, the Miss Universe pageant displayed judges’ scores live on television, which minimized doubts about the competition’s integrity. “Back then, in the ’90s, the scores were shown on TV. I’ve been a judge at Miss Universe three times, and you could see each judge’s score. Put it in a calculator and the calculations will appear,” she explained.

Torres’ comments followed Sousa’s statements during a segment on the Telemundo program “En Casa con Telemundo.” He described her win as a result of luck rather than skill, stating that the real winner should have been Venezuelan contestant Milka Chulina, the runner-up. “I like her, but I feel a certain way because that year she won by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the winner should have been Venezuela,” Sousa claimed, alleging that two judges did not score the Venezuelan competitor.

Torres clarified that the scoring system at the time removed the highest and lowest scores, leaving the average as the final tally. “It’s on TV, do the math… I won,” she stated with a smile. Reflecting on her journey, Torres shared that she was discovered at just 18 years old while walking in the street, unconnected to the beauty pageant world. “I was a girl, just 18. I came from the countryside and had nothing to do with contests,” she recounted.

For Torres, her authenticity and freshness captivated the international judges. “That year, the judges liked that I was fresh, that I was natural, not overly posed or rehearsed. Authentic, genuine — that’s what they liked,” she said.

She concluded by expressing pride in her accomplishments and her representation of Puerto Rico. “My country deserves it, and for the rest of my life, I will be proud of what I did for Puerto Rico. That was the year,” she said emotionally.