Who was Patricia Fuenmayor married to? Personal life explored as Former Miss South America winner and reporter passes away at 51

Journalist Patricia Fuenmayor, who was crowned Miss South America in 1998, has passed away at 51. The Univision morning show Despierta América, where Fuenmayor worked as a correspondent, announced the unfortunate news during its broadcast on Monday, June 9, 2025.

Per the announcement, Fuenmayor had been battling cancer. The show's anchors, Raúl González, Karla Martínez, Alan Tacher, and Francisca Lachapel, stated (translated by Latin Times):

"The Despierta América family is mourning a great loss. Our dear friend and colleague Patricia Fuenmayor passed away this morning."

Fuenmayor was a journalist based out of New York, where she stayed with her husband and plastic surgeon, Dr. Jorge Safar Perez.

According to her Instagram, she and Jorge have been together since 1994 and were married in November 2004. The couple share two children inclyding daughter Sarah, 14, and a younger son, Fernando.

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Patricia Fuenmayor, along with her family, immigrated to the United States after her husband Jorge's kidnapping

According to her profile on Latin Times, Patricia Fuenmayor hailed from Venezuela. She rose to fame in the late 1990s when she represented Zulia state in Miss Venezuela 1997. A year later, she was crowned Miss South America.

Despite finding success in the modeling industry, Fuenmayor soon stepped into the shoes of a journalist. Per her LinkedIn profile, she earned a degree in journalism and communications from Universidad Santa María in Caracas in 2006.

Over the years she has worked in the Venezuelan television industry as a presenter on networks like Venevisión, RCTV International, and E! Networks. She was also an announcer at Planet 105.3 FM in Caracas for over ten years. Some of her shows include Cita con las Estrellas and De Boca en Boca.

Sometime in the 2010s, Patricia Fuenmayor's life took a turn when her husband, Dr. Jorge Safar, was kidnapped in Venezuela. The ordeal forced her into exile, as she eventually immigrated to the United States.

Once in New York, the Venezuelan journalist joined Univision as a correspondent for Al Despertar, eventually becoming an anchor and correspondent at Despierta América. Per her LinkedIn, Patricia Fuenmayor was also an anchor of Digital Edition NY, covering news about the local Hispanic community.

During a 2021 airing of Despierta América, she recalled the day Jorge was kidnapped, according to Univision. He informed her that he had left his workplace at nine but didn't return home until midnight. In a state of panick, she kept calling him until a kidnapper answered, demanding ransom. She eventually gave the money. Fuenmayor also claimed that the perpetrators had been police officers.

Talking about them immigrating to the U.S., Patricia stated (translated by Univision):

"We spent a year searching, trying, learning. We didn't speak the language, but hey, here we are. That dark night turned into a blessing because we were able to grow as a family."

Fuenmayor frequently updated her Instagram followers about key events in her life. In her last post, shared on Valentine's Day this year, the journalist shared a sweet message dedicated to her husband. It featured a carousel of pictures with Jorge.

Patricia Fuenmayor is survived by her husband and two children.

There is no official word on her funeral as of this writing.