Did a Translation Fail Cost Miss Venezuela the Miss Universe Crown?
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 16: Miss Venezuela, Ileana Marquez, speaks in The 73rd Miss Universe Competition - show at Arena Ciudad de Mexico on November 16, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
A new Miss Universe 2024 has been crowned. Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark succeeded Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua. This year’s competition saw two Latinas in the Top 5: Miss Mexico and Miss Venezuela, with Mexico finishing as the second runner-up and Venezuela placing fourth. But at the end of the night, many fans online were less focused on the winner and more on what they saw as an unfair factor affecting Miss Venezuela’s ranking: her interpreter.
During the two Q&A rounds, Miss Venezuela asked for an interpreter. And Eache, the choice seemed to hurt her. In the first round, the interpreter gave the wrong question, which meant Ileana Márquez Pedroza’s answer had nothing to do with what was asked.
Then, during the second question, the interpreter didn’t fully transmit the message Miss Venezuela was trying to convey with her answer, once again hurting her.
The reaction online was swift and loud. Some people made fun of the translation, making up what the translator could have said.
Others were more critical, pointing fingers at both the interpreter and the fact that Miss Venezuela didn’t speak English. Comments like “not knowing English killed her” and “English should be a requirement” started circulating. But with Miss Universe being an international platform, it’s understandable that not every contestant would be fluent in English—so this criticism may be unfair.
Some were just shocked and upset, with people saying, “They did Miss Venezuela dirty” and calling out the fact that the translator “harmed the Venezuelan candidate.”
Still, there was an overwhelming sentiment that the Latina contestant was “done dirty.” Many fans felt that her performance suffered due to issues outside of her control, with some claiming the interpreter “harmed the Venezuelan candidate” and pointing out that this wasn’t just one slip-up but two.
In the end, Miss Denmark was crowned Miss Universe, and questions about what Miss Venezuela could have achieved if she’d been able to answer her questions will remain an anecdote of this year’s Miss Universe. But, sadly, people might end up talking about this more than they do about the final result.