It’s the question on everyone’s lips in Sint Maarten (SXM), how was Lara Mateo, 24, chosen as the delegate to represent Dutch Sint Maarten at Miss World 2021 which is being hosted in Puerto Rico.
On the official Miss World website under her bio, Mateo is 24, speaks three languages, French, English and Spanish and her occupation is listed as a rental management assistant.
Her personal motto is: ‘Misery is more beautiful in the sun.’
It appears she may just be facing that on the eve of the finals of the Miss World competition.
Questions surrounding her presence at the competition began to surface when MP Christopher Emmanuel raised the issue in Parliament on Monday and had part of her Miss World Head-to-Head 2021 Challenge played.
Mateo in the video said she was born in Spain and when she was 1 year old her mother decided to move to Sint Maarten and never left since. She also said she is grateful to call it home.
But MP Emmanuel expressed concern: “Who owns the rights to the Miss World franchise for Sint Maarten. How was this contestant chosen? Was there a local pageant held, if yes when and where? Was the Sint Maarten Tourism Bureau involved in terms of budget and sponsorship?
Who gave permission for this person to represent the country and carry on with our flag. Do we even know if this person is a legal resident on the southern side of the island? I want to know.”
The MP then went on to say:
Madam Chair I don’t see any representation of me. I don’t see it. We can all screw up our face and turn as much as we want because you don’t like what I saying but that is what it is. I see no representation of me but you are wrapped in my flag, draped in it, sitting in it and saying you representing Sint Maarten, I have an issue with that.
Since then, Posh Productions, St Maarten’s Pageant Professionals, says it did not send Mateo to represent the island and has learnt that an independent license holder based out of Guadeloupe had scouted Mateo.
In a statement, President of POSH Cassandra Weekes-Jeffers, said: “There is currently a Ms Lara Mateo in attendance at the 70th Miss World International Pageant currently being hosted in Puerto Rico.
POSH hereby makes it known that Ms Mateo is not representing POSH as the franchise holder of the Miss and Mr World license for Sint Maarten.
In 2018, POSH crowned Mr Learie Hall as the first ever Mr Genuine Quality (GQ) Sint Maarten. POSH gained an overwhelming approval of support from the organisation and the public at large, and as part of his win, Mr Hall was inducted to represent Sint Maarten as Mr World 2018 in the Phillipines.
With having forged this positive relationship with Miss World Limited, POSH also secured an agreement with the organisation for the franchise license of Miss World.
It was the aim of POSH to host the first pageant to identify the Sint Maarten Miss World Queen in 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic made this impossible.
POSH has now learned that it is an independent license holder based out of Guadeloupe who has scouted Ms Mateo.
POSH is puzzled by the recent developments under the Miss World umbrella and intends to inquire if one holding an independent license is permitted to submit a candidate without consulting the country’s license holder to further ensure that the country endorses and supports the registered candidate.
In closing, like the rest of the country, POSH is baffled by this and has sought to obtain clarity from the World pageant organisation as to what has transpired when it comes to Sint Maarten’s representation and ambassadorship on a world stage.”
The Government of Sint Maarten has now chimed in saying it does not endorse nor support the participation of Lara Mateo at the 70th Miss World which began on November 21 and ends on December 16 in Puerto Rico.
It said upon investigation of the circumstances surrounding the selection of Mateo as representative of Sint Maarten at the Miss World, it is clear that no Government Ministry nor Department was involved in or requested to give input in this matter as required.
The government stated that the processing and selection of a potential candidate for such an international pageant are customarily held by a private organisation that holds the pageant license. Under normal circumstances, the license holder usually seeks the endorsement and or support of the Government of Sint Maarten prior to attending such an international event.
It noted in this instance, it has been ascertained that the license holder was not consulted and was not involved in the process of identifying nor sending Mateo to compete in the Miss World pageant scheduled to take place this week.
The Government of Sint Maarten has dispatched a letter to Miss World Limited to unequivocally denounce the participation of Mateo as no endorsement of this candidate has taken place and questions the vetting process of the organisation.
Government said it intends to implement and publicise the necessary policies that will ensure all intended participants attending international events representing Sint Maarten have the required endorsement prior to embarking on such a journey to prevent such an incident from happening in the future.