Goizeder Victoria Azúa Barríos, from Valencia, Venezuela is the Miss International titleholder for the year 2003. She began her beauty pageant career by winning the Miss Carabobo 2002 title, beating out big favorite Vanessa Fanesi, and then by winning the Miss World Venezuela 2002 crown in the Gala de la Belleza beauty pageant. Azúa was a major surprise winner both times but she has gone on to a highly distinguished career in pageantry and fashion. Her win marks the fourth victory of Venezuela in Miss International, the most of any country, only to be matched in 2005 by the Philippines. Goizeder also won the Miss Photogenic title. In 2002, she also represented Venezuela in the Miss World pageant, where she was a semi-finalist in the controversy-ridden edition (during which Osmel Sousa refused to pull her participation when several nations were protesting against the original host country Nigeria). She has also won the Miss Mesoamérica title, making her one of the most successful representatives of Venezuela in the last five years. Although she was once considered Venezuela's top fashion model, she is famed not for her facial beauty but more for her personality and spectacular catwalk. Azúa is of Basque ancestry, which accounts for her highly unusual first and family names.
| Preceded by Christina Sawaya |
Miss International 2003 |
Succeeded by Jeymmy Vargas |
| Big Four pageants (2003) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Miss Universe Amelia Vega |
Miss World Rosanna Davison |
Miss Earth Dania Prince |
Miss International Goizeder Azúa |
