Magnolia Martinez Rojas, 24, of Lima, Peru was not able to win the Miss Universe 1971 crown. However, she made a mark by winning one of the special awards of the international beauty pageant.

On July 24, 1971, Martinez represented Peru in the 20th edition of Miss Universe and competed against 59 other candidates at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida, United States. She was unplaced but she won the Miss Amity award.

Maria Luisa Lopez Corzo of Mexico won the Best National Costume Award. Vida Valentina Doria of the Philippines was Miss Photogenic.

It was Georgina Rizk of Lebanon who won the Miss Universe 1971 crown while Toni Rayward of Australia was her runner-up and Pirjo Laitila of Finland was second runner-up. Beba Franco of Puerto Rico and Eliane Guimarães of Brazil were the respective third and fourth runners-up.

Martinez represented Lima at Miss Peru 1971. She competed against 23 other candidates and won the title at Teatro Municipal de Lima in Lima on June 1, 1971, earning her the Miss Universe Peru 1971 title.

Currently, Peru has nine Miss Universe placements including the coronation of Gladys Rosa Zender Urbina of Loreto in 1957. The most recent one was in 1969 when María Julia Mantilla Mayer of La Libertad finished in the Top 15.