María Daniela Velasco was crowned as Miss Earth Venezuela 2021 on 15 October 2021. She succeeded Miss Earth Venezuela 2020 Stephany Zreik and will now represent the country at Miss Earth 2021.
Born in Caracas, the commercial and cultural centre of Venezuela, this 28-year-old works as an anthropologist (specialized in human ecology) and a veterinary assistant. She graduated from the Central University of Venezuela, with a training in eco-leadership and management of sustainable companies in Cambridge University. The eco-activist is also the founder of the environmental NGO ‘Okospiri’ and a TV presenter.
Standing 171 cm tall, Maria is not unfamiliar to the pageant world, previously she was Miss Earth Capital District and made it to the top seven in the Miss Earth Venezuela 2017. She then represented the country in the Miss Continents United 2017, where she was placed among the 10 semi-finalists at the end of the event.