COSTA RICA EXTRA – She thinner than the average Miss. Attractive, even with thick eyebrows and noticeably mixed features. And instead of asking for “world peace” she tells a good joke and even dances reggaeton disguised as “Mela”, her alter ego, a character in real life.
Francisca Antonia Lachapel (née Méndez-Montero) is a Dominican actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Nuestra Belleza Latina 2015 on April 12, 2015.
Lachapel auditioned for Nuestra Belleza Latina in New York City where she advanced to Round 2 and was invited to Miami to further compete in the competition. After 12 weeks of competition, Lachapel was crowned Nuestra Belleza Latina 2015, becoming the first Dominican to do so.
She won US$200,000 in prizes, a Kia Soul, a one year contract with the Univision network and she will be featured in People en Español magazine.
She is also the first woman different from her eight predecessors who all have distinct European features.
Lachapel currently works as a reporter and co-host for Univision’s morning show Despierta America. She has also made appearances on El Gordo y la Flaca, Sabado Gigante and Sal y Pimienta.
This article originally appeared on Costaricaextra.com
