COVER STORY: LEILA LOPES

THE QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE FOR 2011
By Raphael Porciuncula

Much has been written about Miss Leila Lopes , Miss Universe of 2011. It has been said that Angolans cheer lustily during football games but on September 13, 2011, they cheered boisterously and with so much excitement not because they won in a game of sport but because, a young beautiful lass from their country won the title “Miss Universe.” She competed in the pageant with aplomb as she showed how elegant and intelligent she is to convince the jury to crown her as the 60th Miss Universe.


Leila can’t believe she is the new Miss Universe as she seemed dazed and bedazzled of the fate that befell her that momentous day. She thanked the Angolan and Brazilian people and the people who rooted for her during the telecast all over the world.


She was a dark horse so to speak as international pundits casted their votes on a possible win by Misses Venezuela, Puerto Rico, China, Ukraine and even the candidate from the Philippines. But she charmed them all and went all the way of being crowned as the new Queen of the Universe.

Leila Lopes during the Miss Angola UK and Miss Angola 2011 pageant.

Leila was born in Benguela, Angola and is borth to Cape Verdean parents. She was able to qualify as the representative of Angola to the Miss Universe Beauty pageant when she won the title of Miss Angola in the UK as this allowed her to participate in the Miss Angola 2011 beauty pageant. She was chosen as Miss Photogenic in their national pageant. Leila’s saga in beauty pageants started when she was 17 years old. She was said to have conducted beauty pageants among young girls when she was still in her native Angola and soon enough she is doing the competition herself. A quick look on the saga of Leila in her search of the crown for Miss Universe showed her competing amongst the hopefuls in Miss Angola, UK. She was a tall 5’10” lithe like figure who towered among the other girls not only with her height but also with her innate charms. She exuded a certain feisty but loveable attitude with such a very sweet smile. Her smile never wavered. She might be nervous but her smile radiated her sincerity and thus, it has a calming effect and thus acquiring a winnable aura. Her swimsuit performance in her national competition is simply disarming. Her evening gown was very similar to the gown she used during the Miss Universe competition although it was much simpler. The gown she used in the Miss Universe beauty pageant was more elaborate in feather trappings, sequences and beads. Leila was unquestionably the best in her national competition and thus it is not a surprise that she stood out among the rest of the 88 candidates in Brazil during the finals of the Miss Universe 2011.

Leila Lopes during the Miss Universe 2011 pageant in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Soon after she was crowned, she was surrounded with controversies that she falsified her documents to be able to join the Miss Angola beauty pageant according to an expose from an Argentinian newspaper. A statement from Leila said that she never falsified her papers and that she legitimately joined the pageant.

Leila has so far been a very good role model for Miss Universe. She had been admired greatly for her great demeanor and that she is well-loved in all the gatherings she had joined so far. She has travelled a lot to the different places like Brazil, Singapore, Indonesia, Angola, Bahamas, Gabon, Jamaica, South Africa and Germany. She wants to scatter the goodwill that a Miss Universe carries with her. She wants to reach out and work for poor kids and elderly as she did in her country. And being Miss Universe, she will be able to do much more.