00:00 Ten women stood on the stage in their evening gowns at the Miss Grand International Trinidad
00:05 and Tobago pageant at Movie Town on September 10th, all vying for the chance to represent
00:10 Trinidad and Tobago in the competition that was established nearly a decade ago in Thailand.
00:16 Apart from modelling their evening gowns, the women also competed in a swimsuit segment,
00:22 among them Milady Maturano, a Venezuelan national representing Degomartin West.
00:28 During the final question and answer segment, competitors were asked, "At the end of the
00:33 night only one winner will prevail.
00:35 What would you say to the rest of the cohort who will be going home and how can you support
00:40 them and have them support you as the winner?"
00:43 Maturano asked for her interpreter, but eventually answered the question in English as it appeared
00:49 that there was a problem with some of Maturano's words during translation.
00:53 "The appearance doesn't define you, but it's your inner beauty.
01:03 Okay.
01:07 I said that the crown don't define you.
01:13 What defines you is your courage and your determination.
01:18 Thank you."
01:20 In the end, Maturano was selected as the winner to represent TNT at Miss Grand International.
01:26 But a criteria outlined online for the screening of contestants for the pageant indicated that
01:31 aspiring delegates must be unmarried and childless, a natural born female, must be a citizen of
01:38 Trinidad and Tobago, and must be familiar with TNT in several matters like culture,
01:43 politics, trade, tradition, environment, conflict, etc.
01:47 It is this that has sparked controversy, with some congratulating the directors of the pageant
01:52 for what is a historical decision in TNT's pageantry record and some criticizing the
01:58 move and voicing concerns.
02:00 In a press release, Stolen Productions Ltd, the pageant holder, acknowledged what is now
02:05 a polarizing topic.
02:06 SPL Public Relations and Media Officer, Kari Gobedon, says the criteria for eligibility
02:12 with the Miss Grand International franchise endorse Maturano as a non-native living and
02:19 working in the country and also as an intrinsic representative of TNT's culture.
02:24 Further to that, SPL says it supports Maturano for what she stands for.
02:29 The love and compassion of TNT, which has opened its arms to its Venezuelan neighbors
02:34 in their time of need, allowing Maturano to call this country her home.
02:39 According to Gobedon, Maturano represents TNT's "cultural melting pot" and "beautiful
02:44 diaspora."
02:45 He states that more people have supported the move when compared with what he calls
02:48 "the voices of negativity and animosity on the matter."
02:52 SPL is assured that Maturano will fly TNT's flag high.
02:57 Information on Miss Grand International suggests that the pageant is heavily focused on humanitarian
03:03 matters and has even been liaising with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
03:08 UNHCR.
03:10 Miss Grand International is set to take place in October this year in Vietnam.
03:15 Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
03:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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