María Conchita Alonso

María Conchita Alonso was born in Cuba and raised in Caracas. She was crowned Miss Teenager of the World in 1971 and Miss Venezuela in 1975. Alonso became a popular actress in Latin America, working in ten soap operas, and in Venezuelan films.

She is also a popular singer with three Grammy nominations. In 1982, she emigrated to the U.S. and made her Hollywood film debut in 1984 in Moscow on the Hudson, opposite Robin Williams. In 1995, she starred in the Broadway production of Kiss of the Spider Woman, making her the first South American woman to star on Broadway. She is an ardent opponent of the dictatorship begun by the Castro brothers and of Hugo Chávez succeeded by Nicolás Maduro.

Excerpt from the book Cubans: An Epic Journey, the Struggle of Exiles for Truth and Freedom p. 412-414 published by Facts About Cuban Exiles by Sam Verdeja and Guillermo Martínez. English and Spanish editions are available in hard and paper back at amazon.com

CUBAN EXILES IN HOLLYWOOD by Alejandro Ríos