EILATAN — “LIKE A QUEEN LIKE A WINNER”
December 31, 2025
Before integrity becomes a principle, it becomes a practice. Before structure appears as discipline, it is lived as responsibility. In the story of María Virginia Abreu, beauty, leadership, and resilience are not parallel paths, but one continuous architecture shaped by experience, accountability, and conscious choice.
Her journey moves beyond titles and appearances into something far more demanding: the construction of a life that holds under pressure. From early recognition to motherhood, from auditing systems to auditing the self, María Virginia has learned that true elegance lies in coherence — between intention and action, values and decisions.
Your story begins with early recognition and then shifts quickly into responsibility and perseverance. How did those formative years shape the way you approach life and long-term decisions today?
Those early years were my first great training ground. I learned that the visibility of a crown is ephemeral, but the responsibility of a very young mother is transformative. Studying Public Accounting at ULA (Mérida, Venezuela) under those circumstances taught me that long-term decisions are not made with momentary enthusiasm, but with a vision of the woman I want to be in the future. Today, I approach life knowing that perseverance is not just effort; it is the ability to stay focused while maintaining empathy toward my own process, understanding that every great achievement requires an unbreakable will and respect for the time it takes for each goal to mature.
With more than two decades in auditing and years in the oil industry, you’ve worked in environments where structure and accountability are essential. How did these professional disciplines influence your personal philosophy beyond the workplace?
My career provided me with an unwavering lens: the search for truth and transparency. I learned that chaos is not resolved with good intentions, but with systems and accountability. This professional discipline became my life philosophy; today, I “audit” my own thoughts to ensure coherence between what I promise and what I execute. This rigor has made me more empathetic toward others; I understand that we all manage emotional “assets” and “liabilities,” and that integrity is the only firm ground upon which a sustainable life can be built.
You often describe structure as something that protects rather than restricts. What does a healthy, sustainable structure look like in everyday life for you?
To me, a healthy structure is an act of self-love and a refuge for peace of mind. It is not a prison of schedules, but the framework that allows my being to flow with security. It translates into setting clear boundaries and prioritizing self-care and health as non-negotiable assets. For those who strive day by day, structure is what prevents them from breaking in the face of adversity. It is the elegance of knowing how to say “no” to what does not align with my purpose, so I can say “yes” with integrity to what truly nourishes my soul.
Your return to the catwalk in 2023 carried a deeply personal meaning. How did that experience reflect the person you have become, rather than who you once were?
A: My return to the runway in 2023 was not an act of nostalgia, but of affirmation and life restructuring. In 1995, I walked seeking approval; in 2023, I walked celebrating my own history and my ability to rebuild myself. That experience reflected a maturity that understands that true beauty does not lie in perfection, but in the integrity of having integrated all my scars. It was the walk of a woman who no longer seeks to be seen, but who sees herself with pride and wisdom.
Education, discipline, and perseverance are recurring themes in your journey. Which inner qualities do you believe were most crucial in navigating moments of transition and change?
I believe the most crucial qualities were the humility to recognize when a situation overwhelms me and to ask for help, the discipline not to abandon my values when the road gets tough, and a brave sense of self-compassion. I have learned that being disciplined does not mean being cruel to oneself. In the hardest transitions, my compass has been integrity of purpose: staying true to my principles while giving myself the human permission to feel and process change. That blend of technical rigor and human softness is what allows for real transformation.
You are now developing a personal transformation method based on self-assessment and internal coherence. What first step do you believe is essential for someone who wants to begin a conscious process of personal restructuring?
The first step is a “Radical Honesty Audit.” My method applies the rigor of auditing (compliance and internal control) to observe the gaps between what we think and what we actually do. The social value of this approach is that it transforms chaos into a sustainable methodology. We must identify the origin of our inconsistencies and confront limiting beliefs. Only when we acknowledge where we are being incoherent with ourselves can we chart a “continuous improvement” plan toward a life of peace and self-respect.
You speak about peace, boundaries, and self-respect as foundations of a meaningful life. How do you personally maintain balance while continuing to grow and evolve?
Balance is a daily task of fine-tuning. I maintain it through the elegance of unbreakable boundaries; I understand that protecting my peace is the only way to keep evolving. I give myself permission to be a permanent “project in progress,” embracing my past with gratitude and working on my present with discipline. My balance comes from knowing when to push forward with strength and when to stop to nourish my spirit, understanding that balance is not a static state, but the wisdom to recognize when to quiet personal chaos.