The Miss Bolivia contest was organized for the first time in 1930 when the Miss Latin America pageant, headquartered in Miami, requested all participating countries to hold the national event to elect the country representatives.[1] In the case of Bolivia, the newspaper El Diario took charge and coordinated with the prefectures and academies of fine arts of each department. So that, through commissions, each department could proceed with the election of their representative for the national contest, which was sponsored by the Miami National Bathing Beauty Pageant.[1] The regional competitions happened in Potosí, Lapaz, Oruro, Tarija, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba.[1]
In the national final of Miss Bolivia 1930, held at the Rotary Club on February 15 in Lapaz, the representative of Tarija, Rosa Pizarro Araoz, was named the winner and was awarded by the first lady of Bolivia, Luisa Salinas Vega. Araoz then competed in the Miss Latin America in Miami, United States, where eight Latin countries participated, including Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Panama Canal Zone, Peru, Ecuador, and Nicaragua, of whom the representative of Panama, Melinda Boyd, was elected the winner.[1]
In 1959, the contest was managed by Gloria Suárez de Limpias who was the event's director until 1979.
The winner of Miss Bolivia Universo represents her country at the Miss Universe. On occasion, when the winner does not qualify (due to age) for either contest, a runner-up is sent.
Yearly, the first runner-up went to the Miss World competition. In recent years, Miss Bolivia formatted the new regulation from Miss World Organization to hold an independent pageant, Miss Bolivia Mundo. Later than that before the main event, the Miss Bolivia pageant, another section, Miss Bolivia Mundo will crown the winner to represent Bolivia at the Miss World competition.
Between 1969 and 2014 the second runner-up of Miss Bolivia represented Bolivia at the Miss International pageant. Since 2015 after the committee divided pageant into two pageants, the Miss Bolivia Internacional selects by the first runner-up of Miss Bolivia pageant.
Year
Department
Miss Bolivia Internacional
Placement at Miss International
Special Awards
Notes
2024
Santa Cruz
Camila Ribera Roca
1st Runner-Up
2023
Santa Cruz
Vanessa Hayes Schutt
4th Runner-Up
2022
Pando
Carolina Fernández Menacho
Unplaced
Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no competition held between 2020—2021
2019
Chuquisaca
Valentina Pérez Medina
Unplaced
2018
Beni
Maria Elena Antelo Molina
Unplaced
2017
Litoral
Carla Patricia Maldonado Simoni
Unplaced
Miss International America
2016
Tarija
Katherine "Katty" Aysathu Añazgo Orozco
Unplaced
2015
Cochabamba
Alejandra Panonzo Muguertegui
Unplaced
2014
Santa Cruz
Mory Joselyn Toro Leigue
Unplaced
2013
Chuquisaca
Adriana Delgadillo Galvan
Unplaced
2012
Pando
Stephanie Nuñez Nogales
Unplaced
2011
Santa Cruz
Daniela Michelle Núñez del Prado Serrano
Unplaced
2010
Santa Cruz
Ximena Vargas Parada
Unplaced
2009
Tarija
Laura Denisse Olivera Rivarola
Unplaced
2008
Cochabamba
Paula Andrea Peñarrieta Chaga
Unplaced
2007
Santa Cruz
Angélica Olavarría Vacao
Unplaced
2006
Santa Cruz
Pamela Justiniano Saucedo
Unplaced
2005
Santa Cruz
Gretel María Stehli Parada
Unplaced
2004
Tarija
Vanessa Patricia Morón Jarzun
Unplaced
2003
Santa Cruz
Carmen Muriel Cruz Claros
Top 12
2002
Litoral
Edith Carla Ameller Zubelsa
Unplaced
2001
La Paz
Joan Priscilla Quiroga Sarmiento
Unplaced
2000
Santa Cruz
Katherine Villarroel
Unplaced
1999
Santa Cruz
Natalia Arteaga Gamarra
Unplaced
1998
Litoral
Liliana Peña Guachalla
Top 15
1997
Tarija
Fabiana Nieva Caso
Unplaced
1996
Santa Cruz
Elka Grothenhorst Pacheco
Top 15
1995
Tarija
Liliana Arce Angulo
Top 15
1994
Santa Cruz
Maria Renée David
Unplaced
1993
Santa Cruz
Maria Cristina Tondelli
Unplaced
1992
Santa Cruz
Ana Paola Roca Mercado
Unplaced
1991
Cochabamba
Rosmy Tamara Pol
Unplaced
1990
Santa Cruz
Giselle Greminger
Top 10
Best National Costume
1989
Santa Cruz
Katerine Rivera Vaca
Unplaced
1988
Santa Cruz
Sonia Montero
Unplaced
1987
Litoral
Gouldin Balcázar
Unplaced
1986
Beni
Gloria Patricia Roca
Unplaced
1985
Tarija
Ana Patricia Castellanos
Unplaced
1984
Santa Cruz
Maria Cristina Gómez
Unplaced
1983
Santa Cruz
Eliana Limpias Suárez
Unplaced
Miss Friendship
1982
Santa Cruz
Beatrice Peña
Unplaced
1981
Santa Cruz
Rosario Suárez
Did not compete
1980
Santa Cruz
Maria Beatriz Landívar Olmos
Unplaced
1979
Santa Cruz
Sonia Beatriz Villarroel
Unplaced
1978
—
Rosita de Lourdes Requeña
Unplaced
Miss Friendship
1977
—
Miriam Coimbra
Unplaced
1976
—
Martha Rosa Baeza
Unplaced
1975
—
Rosario Maria del Blanco
Unplaced
1974
—
Dilian Nela Martínez
Unplaced
1973
—
Rosa Maria Columba González
Unplaced
1972
—
Leticia Brunn Aguilera
Unplaced
1971
—
Maria Villarejo
Unplaced
1970
—
Nelly Zenteno Pereira
Unplaced
1969
—
Erika Kohlenberger
Unplaced
1968
—
Ana Maria Urenda Amelunga
Unplaced
Miss Friendship
1967
—
Maria Cristina Ibáñez Brown
Unplaced
Did not compete between 1963—1966
1962
—
Olga Pantoja Antelo
Unplaced
1961
—
Carmen Anze
Unplaced
1960
—
Edmy Arana Ayala
Unplaced
Miss Grand Bolivia
: Declared as Winner
: Ended as runner-up or top 5/6 qualification
: Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
: Ended as special awards winner
Promociones Gloria holds the license of Miss Grand International for Bolivia since 2013. The country representatives for each year's edition were determined directly through the Miss Bolivia pageant.[10][11][12][13] In some case, an appointment has been observed.[14][15][16][17]
Between 2001 and 2014 the third runner-up of Miss Bolivia represented Bolivia at the Miss Earth pageant. Began in 2015 the second runner-up of Miss Bolivia will go to Miss Earth pageant.