Irene saez
Irene Lailin Sáez Conde (Chacao, Miranda, December 13, 1961) is a Venezuelan political scientist, former model and former beauty queen. She was the winner of Miss Venezuela 1981 and later of the Miss Confraternidad Sudamericana and Miss Universe contests in 1981.
In addition, she was a deputy and mayoress of the Chacao municipality and later governor of the state of Nueva Esparta. In 1998 she was a candidate for the presidency of Venezuela. She was the second candidate for the presidency of Venezuela, after Ismenia Villalba.
Biography
She was born into a Venezuelan family of conservative traditions. She was the youngest of the six children of Carlos Sáez and Ligia Conde, who died when Irene was 3. She spent her childhood in the Chacao municipality, Miranda state.
Beauty pageants
She won the 1981 Miss Venezuela beauty pageant, being the pageant's top favorite. On the night of the contest, which took place on Thursday, May 7, Sáez stood out in a pink dress by María Teresa Sertal, achieving her victory. She that night she also won the Miss Photogenic award.
Upon winning Miss Venezuela, Sáez went to two beauty pageants. The first, Miss South American Confraternity 1981, held in June 1981 in Lima, Peru, where she won the title. The second, Miss Universe, held on Monday, July 20, 1981 at the Minskoff Theater in New York, USA. Since her arrival, she became the great favorite. Sáez became the second Venezuelan to win the Miss Universe title after Maritza Sayalero. In addition, Ella Sáez won second place in the typical costume competition.
Three days after her triumph, she was received at the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía. She was received in Miraflores by the president in charge, Rafael Andrés "Pepi" Montes de Oca and there was also a celebration in Venevisión, with her entire family, on Sensational Saturday. That same year she traveled the world, until delivering the crown the following year in Lima, Peru.
Political career
Irene Sáez studied Political and Administrative Studies (Political Sciences) at the Central University of Venezuela, where she graduated with honors. Subsequently, she ran for and won the mayoralty of the Chacao municipality, a position for which she was later re-elected. Her work was notorious and widely publicized.
He participated in the 1998 presidential elections, leading the polls in voting intentions. He created his own party, called IRENE (Integration and Renewal of New Hope) founded that same year. His campaign was based on ending corruption, reducing bureaucracy and refinancing the public debt.During the campaign he received the support of the Copei social-Christian party, resulting in a negative effect on voters. Four days before the elections, the COPEI party withdrew its support to support Henrique Salas Romer, in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Hugo Chávez's victory. Finally, Sáez barely obtained 3% of the vote.
In 1999, Irene Sáez ran for governor of Nueva Esparta state with the support of the V Republic Movement and the Patriotic Pole. She was criticized by several parties alleging that she was not born nor did she live in Nueva Esparta and that therefore she could not run there. On election day, Ella Sáez won with more than 70% of the vote. She was in office for a few months, as she resigned from her post, supposedly due to her state of health.
Personal Life
In 1999, she married Venezuelan lawyer and political scientist Humberto Briceño León, with whom she had a son. The couple divorced in 2002. In 2003 she was appointed to the board of directors of BancGroup Colonial. She is married to the Venezuelan businessman Serafín García Armas with whom she lives in Miami, United States.
Predecessor: Maye Brandt | Miss Venezuela 1981 | Successor: Ana Teresa Oropeza |
| Predecessor: Shawn Nichols Weatherly  United States | Miss Universe 1981 | Successor: Karen Dianne Baldwin Canada  Canada |
| Predecessor: Establishment of the post | Mayor of the municipality of Chacao 1992–1999 | Successor: Cornelio Popesco |
| Predecessor: Rafael Tovar | Governor of State New Sparta 1999-2000 | Successor: Alexis Navarro |