Minutes after entering the hotel to debut in Big Brother (Telefe), a young 27 -year -old model made an unexpected decision: leave the contest before starting. That participant was ELSA SOARES MARTINSknown as Whitean Angolaña who had captured the interest of the production team for his history of overcoming and his charisma in front of the camera. His last minute resignation left a key place in reality and allowed the entry of Chiara Mancusowhich was substitute.
In the issuance of LAM by America TV, Brito Angel He revealed that Elsa “had recorded the entire presentation, as did all the boys who are now inside”, but “he stopped Garpe to Remis a few minutes before entering the hotel.” Yanina Latorre He added that what motivated the decision was a panic attacksomething that Santiago del Moro would have confirmed.
Zuri was born in Malanjea province of Northern Angola, a tropical African country that was Portuguese colony until 1975. From a young age he stood out in his studies and reached the Best national average in his nursing technicatura. That academic achievement allowed him to access a Complete scholarship to study Medicine in Argentinaas part of an educational program promoted by the José Eduardo Dos Santos Foundation, in honor of the former Angolan president.
At 19, in June 2018, nine other students arrived together with Liberator San Martín, Entre Ríosto study at the Adventista del Plata university. But, once on Argentine soil, the students were informed that the foundation that supported them had changed. Instead, an entity called IDS – void to an advisor to the former Angoleñond – would take care of their expenses, but bass drastic and not previously informed conditions.
“They told us that we had to sign new contracts, with clauses that included physical punishments for low performance,” said Zuri herself in dialogue with Infobae. Although she maintained excellent academic performance, she witnessed what the organization called “corrections”: “It was a circle of torture, with military exercises, sustain weight for hours, be kneeling in stones. Women and men equally.” He added that the threat of being returned to his country if they did not accept the rules was a decisive pressure. “Our parents sold everything so we could come. We couldn’t return empty hands.”
For more than three years, The Foundation did not comply with the payment of tariffs university. Students, without their own income, could not study or return to Angola, even if their families gathered money to send them tickets. In addition, once a year they had to move to a house in Rio de Janeiro to meet meetings of the Foundation, where the vexatious conditions were repeated.
Zuri’s life changed at the end of 2021, when he visited a group of compatriots in Concepción del Uruguay and met the Argentine designer Matías Anchorena. “I was finishing a collection and proposed to model for some photos. It was my first job as a model,” he recalled. From that moment, he began to do castings, participated in The fashion cage And he appeared in agencies, although he was still under the tutelage of the Foundation.
The offer to appear in the program Treatment madedriven by Lizy Tagliani, was the turning point. “It was the opportunity to start a new life. I talked to my family and decided to move to Buenos Aires, to the microcenter.”he said. Assumed the university debt left by the Foundation and achieved Move your career to the University of Business and Social Sciences (UCES)where he currently takes fourth year of medicine.
In parallel, he gained popularity in Tiktok under the pseudonym @zurilymlimber, where he answers questions about Angola, shows traditional clothing, typical dances and breaks with stereotypes about his country. “The typical question what they ask us is how we get from Africa. There are airplanes. We do not live in caves“He said laughing. He also said that, despite the distances, he collaborates from Argentina with the food and education of six children in his native neighborhood.” The youngest is called Elsa, like me. “
Zuri had been selected by the production of Big Brother as one of the original participants. His profile – model, medical student, migrant with a history of cultural struggle and adaptation – promised to contribute a unique narrative to the program. The decision to include it had been taken months earlier and, as Brito said, had already made all the presentation material.
A few days after the premiere, something changed. He left the remis parked and left the process. Chiara Mancuso was the substitute and was summoned just two days after the debut to replace her. In a conversation with his father, the renowned former soccer player Alejandro Mancuso, before admission, the young woman said: “Prepare, I will enter into Big Brotherand all pale, ”she recalled in LAM.
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