Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún (born 31 January 1971) is a Venezuelan actress and fashion model.Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Velásquez, the fifth of six children, was the daughter of Venezuelan parents. Her father is mestizo and her mother a member of the Indigenous Wayuu people. Her parents were both teachers; her father also worked for UNESCO and as a result, she spent some of her childhood in Mexico and France. She attended San Vicente de Paul High School, graduating in 1987. In 1989, she participated in the Miss Venezuela pageant, where she took 2nd place (2nd finalist). After 3 years of college studies, Velásquez left for Milan, Italy, in pursuit of a modeling career.