The Miss Universe 2015 Pageant held in Doral last Sunday created a buzz even before the event took place. But amidst all the issues of the pageant being held in the Southern Florida city, the event was quite a success, with Miss Colombia, Paulina Vega, taking home the prestigious Miss Universe crown.
Doral was one of the 18 choices for the event, according to reports. The city is again a contender for the same event next year as host city, along with Beijing, China, says Donald Trump.
"I think that if you're going to put a dollar amount on the attention the city was given, and all the positive publicity, you just can't calculate it," Doral Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez told the media.
But Doral is not the only city that is celebrating. Colombia called the next day a holiday to make way for celebrations.
Businesses in Colombia were closed the following Monday after Vega's win, to celebrate her success. People took their celebration to the streets and danced to Cumbia music.
"For Colombian residents of South Florida, the election of Miss Colombia as the new Miss Universe is the confirmation of our people's talent and beauty. The Colombian community is happy and grateful to Paulina," Colombian consul Marta Jaramillo said.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos commented on Vega's win saying that not only are Colombian women very pretty, but, "this demonstrates that in Colombia we have women who are intelligent, hard-working and perseverant in the face of obstacles."
Colombian Hollywood celebrities have also expressed their happiness and excitement over the 22-year old Barranquilla, Colombia local's win.
Colombian TV star Sofia Vergara posted a photo of Vega on Instagram with the caption, "Barranquilla!!!!! Miss Universe!!!!"
Vega has dreamed of becoming a beauty queen since she was a teen. "I have been interested in beauty pageants since I was 15 years old," Vega told reporters.
But not everyone seems to be amused at Miss Colombia winning the 63rd Miss Universe title. There are those who were not happy with the decision and felt that it was biased. Vega, however, remains happy and unfazed of all the rumors that surround her at the moment.
