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The dates for the 2009 Festival are from Thursday, August 6 to Sunday, August 9th 2009

Results:

Best National - Costume - Nicaragua

2nd Runner up (third place) - Mexico

1st Runner up (second place ) - Guatemala

Miss Costa Maya Internacional 2009 - Maritza Riva, Miss Nicaragua

Thurs, August 6th
Opening Gala
Gates open at 7:30pm

Belize Dance Company
Jackie Castillo (Belizean Singer)
San Pedro Dance Company (Belize)
New Generation Dance Group (Belize)
Mario Mejia (Guatemala)
Delegates: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize

After Party: Banda Sensacion (Honduras)

Included in Thursday’s events are the Belize Dance Company, Jackie Castillo (Belizean Singer), San Pedro Dance Company (Belize), New Generation Dance Group (Belize), and Mario Mejia (Guatemala) while Banda Sensacion (Honduras) will provide the beats after the pageant.

Miss El Salvador

We presents to you Miss El Salvador, twenty-year-old Raquel Guadalupe Fuentes Bonilla. The Communication Major student loves to sing, dance, act and model. Excited to visit, Raquel states that Belize would be the perfect place to live. “I would love to live in Belize, the only region in the Mundo Maya that has a mixture of cultures and race, impressive natural beauty, San Pedro – La Isla Bonita, and I could get to know the marine life that abounds in the second largest barrier reef.”

    Glamorous and poised, Raquel states that her dad has always been her hero because he has always fought for what he wants, is a public figure, singer, photographer, engineer and dedicated to his family. Having garnered third place at Nuestra Belleza Mundo, Raquel comes eager and willing to fight for the title. The best lesson she has learned so far is the in and outs of the mysterious modeling world; a world that has opened up her mind to other cultures and customs found elsewhere in the world.

Miss Nicaragua
She is no other than 21-year-old Nicaraguan beauty – Maritza Rivas. Contending this year’s Reina de la Costa Maya International, Maritza has a Master’s Degree in Tourism Management and Development which according to her, is crucial for her home country of Nicaragua. “Tourism is the future of my country, all it takes is envisioning it,” she explains.

    The effervescent Maritza is well known for her energy and sense of humor. She describes herself as spontaneous, charismatic, very happy, loves to laugh, enjoys sharing and making people feel good about themselves.

    Coming from a big family, Maritza enjoys time spent with them and her closest friends. Having four siblings, Maritza’s mother had to fulfill the role of both mom and dad, since her father passed away. Her four-year-old brother has Down’s syndrome to which she comments, “I know people suffering from this condition can incorporate themselves within the community. They can hold conversations without any impediment. Society just has not given them the opportunity to develop. That is my goal, to assist people with different capacities in incorporating themselves into society.”

    A model since she was 16-years-old, Maritza confesses that she would love to continue in that career. Participating in pageants has helped her learn how to compete, always striving to be better. She says that she has all the tools required to be queen, intellectual and physical, and she is certain not to disappoint.

    Maritza plans on perfecting her English and specializing in Marketing or Finances, as a career. Other Maritza tidbits include: *Her favorite color is Orange *Her favorite dish is Carne Asada *One of her favorite scents is of the mango, of which she explains, “It is a sweet fruit, of much color… that is how I am, multifaceted.” *She loves to dance to everything, except tango and flamenco *Her biggest dream is to be a professional in her field, recognized for her achievements and dedication to all her objectives *Her favorite personal quote: Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to you *Favorite general quote: “Everything in life is winning, and winning is learning to get up after every fall”.

Miss Costa Rica
She is no other than Costa Rican beauty Jennifer Miranda Rodriguez. The 19-year-old brunette is five feet seven inches tall with deep green eyes. Currently she is a student of Theatrical Arts at the University of Costa Rica and is studying the English language at the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano.

    Jennifer enjoys acting, singing modeling and reading. Having participated in the Miss Costa Rica 2008 pageant, she strongly believes that she can do a fantastic job representing her home country at the 2009 Reina de la Costa Maya Internacional.

Miss Panama
She is Nathalia Lucia Tamayo Dominici, 21-year-old Panameñan model. Working exclusively with Pysical Modeling Agency, Nathalia has graced the pages of Elite Model Look Panama 2004 y Chico & Chica Modelo 2005. The five foot seven inch tall blonde has represented her country at the International Miss Mundo Empresarial 2008, held in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

    The green eyed beauty enjoys being in touch with nature and loves to skate, jog, cycle or head to the beach. A book fanatic, Nathalia will certainly feel at home on La Isla Bonita.

Miss Belize
She is no other than Belize’s representative for the La Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant, Miss Felicita Arzu. The 24-year-old brunette, “Leesha” as she is affectionately known, is a Communication Studies lecturer at Muffles Junior College in Orange Walk Town. As a determined promoter of education, Leesha followed in the footsteps of her mother and two sisters who have been committed and dedicated in that field. Education is key and the role is imperative to any society. During her free time, Leesha enjoys reading, dancing, singing, traveling, socializing and listening to a wide range of musical genres. The five foot eight inch beauty has graced the stage as Belize’s beauty ambassador for the Miss World pageant in December 2007 which was held in Sanya, China. Holder of the title Miss Orange Walk 2004-2005, Leesha also has a passion for music and was also crowned Love FM’s Countrywide Karaoke Champion in 2004 and Fiesta FM’s Karaoke Champion that same year.

Miss Mexico
Marliese Edelmann Ayala proudly represents Mexico for this year’s Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant. Having participated in Nuestra Belleza Mexico 2008, 20-year-old Marliese believes she is well equipped and prepared to vie for the coveted crown. The five foot seven brunette enjoys reading and dancing. Marliese proudly took part in a promotional video for her native hometown of Chiapas entitled “Yo soy Chiapas” and included participation of Reyli Barba and Enrique Virrueta. Branching out into acting, Marliese is preparing for her participation in Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico City).

Miss Guatemala
Miss Guatemala is 22-year-old Angelica Guevara Morfin, beautiful delegate representing Guatemala at this year’s Reina de la Costa Maya Internacional. The five foot, six inch brunette is a primary school teacher, a model and a university student where she is majoring in Foreign Relations. Angelica enjoys reading and dancing in her free time.     Angelica represented her hometown of San Marcos for the 2009 Miss Guatemala. She took home the prize for best figure but shone when she was crowned Miss Guatemala World.

Miss Honduras
Is no other than 23-year-old Ruth Maria Arita Luna from Honduras. The five foot seven inch tall beauty was her country’s Miss Earth 2005 delegate. A student in public relations and a professional model, Ruth is eager to take part in this year’s Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant since her biggest dream is to win a crown for her native home. Describing herself, Ruth states that she is a perfectionist because she like to correct things and have everything “just right.” Confident and charismatic, Ruth has prepared in advance for the night’s events and believes that her uniqueness can captivate the judges.