Miss Peru send her representative, Mary Núñez, to the Miss Universe Pageant, because she was prevented from participating by the president of the republic, Juan Velasco Alvarado. He considered the contest was the product of American capitalism, and a country with which he did not have good relations. This was the only occasion in which a Miss Peru did not participate in the Miss Universe except for the 1955 and 1974, when no contest was held. Given the refusal of Alvarado, Mary Núñez was sent to Miss World 1973 in London, England. In 1982, Peru became the first South American country to
José María Velasco Ibarra José María Velasco Ibarra José María Velasco Ibarra (March 19, 1893 – March 30, 1979) was an Ecuadorian politician. Five times he became president of Ecuador: 1934–1935, 1944–1947, 1952–1956, 1960–1961, and 1968–1972. But only once (1952–1956) did he complete the full term. In his four other exits he was removed by military force; indeed several times he was installed as president through a military coup. Ecuador was notably unstable – with 17 constitutions after independence in 1830, . Velasco Ibarra was a fiery populist who did not have a formal party organization. Rather it was his populist rhetoric that attracted