Adriana Tarud

Adriana Cecilia Tarud Durán was born on September 10, 1982, in Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia. She comes from a distinguished lineage: her parents, Pablo Tarud Jaar and Cecilia Durán de Tarud, have Arab and Lebanese roots, and her grandfather was the former minister Argelino Durán Quintero, who was murdered by the guerrilla. She is also the cousin of singer Shakira. Adriana has two brothers, Pablo Andrés and Daniel. A gifted student, she earned a scholarship to study at the University of Miami, graduating as an Industrial Engineer with a subspecialization in Economics and Business Administration. She is fluent in English and belongs to the Society of Hispanic Engineers.

In November 2004, Adriana was crowned Miss Colombia in Cartagena de Indias, a title that brought her national fame. She also won Best Figure and Best Fantasy Costume that night. The following year, she competed in Miss Universe in Bangkok, Thailand, though she did not place. In a touching turn of events, she later crowned her cousin Valerie Domínguez Tarud as Miss Colombia 2005. Adriana is Colombian by nationality, and she remains a celebrated figure in the world of pageantry.