Controversy surrounding decisions to award one beauty or another in competitions of that nature are not abnormal, after all, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. But when 20-year-old Lilliana Antoinette Cisneros announced her Venezuelan heritage, Jamaicans voiced indignation. Nationalist sentiment rose up but were cooled by the ‘Venezuelan’ beauty who appraised the small crowd at the attempted revival of the Miss Jamaica Universe pageant of her ‘Jamaicanness’. Out of Many, One People.

Published May 12, 1986

Girl from Venezuela wins 'Miss Jamaica Universe' amidst sea of controversy

The most beautiful girl in Jamaica, as far as the "Miss Jamaica Universe" Beauty Contest organisers and promoters are concerned, was crowned on Saturday night (May 10, 1986) at the National Arena in Kingston in a sea of controversy.

She is Lilliana Antoinnette Cisneros, 20, past student of Hillel Academy, St. Andrew, who was the judges' choice to wear the crown of "Miss Jamaica Universe 1986".

Lilliana was the crowd's favourite until she announced: "I am from Venezuela."

Wearing the sash of "Miss Post- to-Post Betting", the petite, 32-23- 34, 5-foot 4-inch, beauty, walked away with the coveted crown from a field of 20 contestants and glided down the aisle to cheers, boos and angry shouts from the relatively small but enthusiastic crowd, many of whom had gathered at the Arena from up to three hours before the scheduled 8 o'clock start to cheer on their favourite contestants.

The booing of the judges' choice of what many people considered a non-Jamaican, came in the wake of several unhappy events which have plagued this revived beauty contest.

The latest of these is a suit filed in the Supreme Court against the organizers and promoters of the contest by one of the former contestants, Ruth Cammock, who alleges that she was the victim of colour discrimination.

It did not help matters either, that the show was an hour late because some of the girls' gowns did not arrive on time, or that, with the gowns having finally arrived, the band was not ready, or that the lighting system failed more than once.

Also, although the incomparable Byron Lee and the Dragonaires band thrilled the crowd with their repertoire of calypso, soca, reggae and soul music, the audience grew tired of hearing them after a while, as it became obvious that they were being used to keep the crowd occupied while the organizers scurried around backstage to iron out some knots which had developed.

The new queen, however, was reinstated in the hearts of many of her subjects when, sitting on the edge of her throne, she declared: "I am as much a Jamaican as anyone here."

Lilliana is indeed a Jamaican, having been born of a Jamaican father and Colombian mother. She has lived most of her life in Jamaica, which she considers "home".

She won $15,000 in cash and prizes, donated by Island Trader Co. Ltd., and a trip to Panama to compete in the "1986 Miss Universe" Beauty Pageant, travelling courtesy of British Airways.

The other contestants who made it to the final seven were very well received by the audience They are: 2nd. place winner Yana McDaniel, "Miss Woods Hardware"; 3rd, Donna Matthews, "Miss Nadinola"; 4th, Chantal Tonnes "Miss Modern Interiors"; 5th, Pamela Wright, "Miss Exquisite Furnishings Ltd."; 6th, Elizabeth Cardoza, "Miss Bryan's Studios"; and 7th, Roma Binns, "Miss Ultra Sheen".

The top three winners selected by the judges also were the top three favoured by the crowd, though not necessarily in the order in which they were placed. Second place runner-up, Yana McDaniel, contestant No. 12, a former "Miss Universal Bikini", was a highly-favoured contestant, along with Lilliana. With vital statistics of 34-23 37, this 23 year-old, 5-foot 4-inch dark-haired beauty, wowed the crowd with her poise, confidence and engaging smile. Asked by master of ceremonies Roy Hall what she would do if she won, Yana replied: “Do you mean this local contest or the international contest?" The crowd went wild. Yana won $4,000 donated by Ultra Sheen.

Third place winner, Donna Matthews, the 5-foot 7-inch beauty with vital statistics of 35 1/8 - 25-38, won the hearts of the crowd with her shy smile and quiet beauty. Each of the top three winners received medallions.

 The judges were, Ms. Elizabeth Beasley, Mr. Robinson Beasley, Mr. Donald Binns, Mr. Sylvester Castro, Mr. Stanley Atkins and Mr. Tyrone Chuck.

Special guest performer was Lloyd Lovindeer, who had the crowd enjoying his "not-worthy-for-air-play", “Government Boops” and “I want to be the G-G”.

The show ended 1 a.m. Sunday

- C.R.

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