Mariam Habach

Mariam Habach Santucci (born 26 January 1996) is a Venezuelan model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Venezuela 2015. She also won Señorita Centro Occidental 2016, she also represented Venezuela at Miss Universe 2016.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Habach and the second or maternal family name is Santucci.

Mariam Habach
Born	Mariam Habach Santucci (1996-01-26) January 26, 1996 Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Title	Miss Lara 2015 Miss Venezuela 2015
Beauty pageant titleholder
Hair color	Blonde
Eye color	Green
Major competition(s)	Miss Venezuela 2015 (Winner) Miss Universe 2016 (Unplaced)

Personal life

Habach is a dentistry student and was raised in a family of Syrian and Italian heritage along with two brothers in the city of El Tocuyo. Her father, Antonio, was born in the city of Tartus, Syria and her maternal family came from Fontanarosa and Agrigento, Italy during World War II.[1] Habach speaks three languages: Spanish, Arabic and Italian.

Pageantry

Miss Venezuela 2015

During Venezuela's final coronation night on 8 October 2015, Habach was crowned Miss Venezuela 2015 representing her home state of Lara. She went to represent Venezuela at Miss Universe 2016.

Miss Universe 2016

Habach represented Venezuela at Miss Universe 2016 and she was amongst a group of favorites to win the pageant. She also won three special awards given by local sponsors during the pre-pageant activities in the Philippines. During the preliminary competition, she was introduced to the televised press as having won all nine beauty pageants she entered, the current coinciding with her birthday.

Habach is also known to wear the golden Maria Clara terno gown, disputed to having been initially reserved by former Miss Czech Republic Andrea Bezděková, to which its designer finally transferred the gown to Habach. During the national costume competition, she wore a blue and white balloon dress designed by Nidal Nouaihed entitled “Reina encantada del mar”, inspired by the island of Margarita and the myth of the ocean goddess Yemaya,[2][3] which weighed more than 18 kilos and was made of 120 meters of organza with hundreds of pearls and crystals.[4] However the hugeness of her costume hampered her movements and forced her to constantly kick her dress forward.[5][6] She ended stuck in the fabric to a point she had to be assisted off stage.[7] Ultimately, Habach did not make placement among the 13 semi-finalists. In thirty three years of Venezuelan pageantry since this time, Habach is the fourth contestant whom did not make placement.

Controversy

Accordingly, many pageant connoisseurs were bewildered on Habach's non-placement in Miss Universe, resulting in being pejoratively labeled as the recipient to the "Award of Ruth Ocumarez". Prior to the coronation night, a Venezuelan journalist named Julio Matute Rodríguez wrote that Habach was arrogant and spoiled due to an affluent upbringing. It was also rumored that her family influenced the judges at the Miss Venezuela 2015 pageant.

Furthermore, several networks on social media speculated that her failure to enter the top 13 selection was due to allegedly disrespecting several candidates. There were televised segments where she pinched second runner-up Andrea Tovar of Colombia and stepped on semi-finalist Valeria Piazza of Peru, among other candidates' dresses without issuing remorse or apology.[8][9][10][11][12][13] In later months, Habach gained further notoriety for a video mocking former first runner-up Ariadna Gutierrez of Colombia, in a recorded video prank allegedly referring to the provincial nature of Colombians.[14]

Present

Habach currently lives in Miami, United States.

See also

• Miss Venezuela 2015

References

1. "Miss Venezuela, originally a Syrian from the city of Tartous". Retrieved 8 June 2019.
2. "Mariam Habach es la "Reina encantada del mar"". Analitica.com. January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
3. "LOOK: Stunning national costumes of Miss Universe candidates". ABS-CBN News. January 14, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
4. "Vestido tipico de Habach casi le hace mala jugada". Cápsula Informativa. January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
5. "Miss U bets in national costumes: The best, most creative, most hilarious". Lifestyle Inquirer. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
6. "A pesar de la mala pasada del traje típico, Mariam Habach lució regia en preliminares del Miss Universo 2016". Noticia Al Dia. January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
7. "Miss Universe national costume show: Spectacular, outlandish, challenging". CNN Philippines. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
8. News, ABS-CBN. "Miss U judge explains why Miss Venezuela didn't make the cut". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
9. Trens, Marcus. "5 Reasons why Miss Universe Venezuela Mariam Habach failed to reach top 13 semifinals". The Trending Facts. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
10. Lao, Daniela Mendoza (2017-01-29). "Miss Universe 2016 winner: Steve Harvey wrong again? Where's Miss Venezuela Mariam Habach?". Yibada English. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
11. "Miss Universe 2016 predictions: Who will succeed Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach?". Rappler. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
12. Lao, Daniela Mendoza (2017-01-17). "Miss Universe 2016 news: Mariam Habach to win 8th crown for Venezuela?". Yibada English. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
13. "Thoughts of Miss Universe 2016".
14. FM, La (14 August 2017). ""¡Colombianos tenían que ser!", la burla de Mariam Habach a Ariadna Gutiérrez". www.lafm.com.co. Retrieved 8 June 2019.

External links

• Miss Venezuela Official Website

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Mariana Jiménez	Miss Venezuela 2015	Succeeded by Keysi Sayago
Preceded by Julibell Alvarado	Miss Lara 2015	Succeeded by Elizabeth Sargo