When Sheynnis Palacios, won the Miss Universe contest on November 18th, it was the first time a Central American, much less a Nicaraguan, had won. The story dominated the news cycle for several days. Dennis Martinez said her victory had a bigger impact than when he as a Nicaraguan pitched a perfect game for the Montreal Expos in 1991. In spite of the fact that all street activity, including religious processions, are prohibited, people spontaneously took to the streets and waved the Nicaraguan flag – which also has been prohibited. This article helps to explain the significance of her victory in the current conditions of the country, and the changing reaction of the government to the victory of this young woman who comes from a very humble background.
The double-talk of the regime about Sheynnis Palacios
In DIVERGENTES, Nov 22, 2023
Sheynnis Palacios was crowned Miss Universe 2023 this past Saturday in San Salvador. She arrived as a favorite in the beauty contest and during the entire competition demonstrated why she is worthy of bearing the crown. The 23-year-old young woman, who supported the marches against the dictatorship of Ortega-Murillo in 2018, is the first Central American to win Miss Universe. Nevertheless, days before her coronation she was the target of scorn and criticism by people close to the regime. The team of DIVERGENTES tells the story.
After her coronation, many people went to the home of Miss Nicaragua and turned it into the epicenter of the celebration. Several videos show the excitement unleashed by the triumph in the 72nd gala of the beauty contest.
About this, Sheynnis Palacios said that she felt “very happy” for being “the first woman to be Miss Universe from Nicaragua” and dedicated her crown to girls throughout the world. Also, to “my inner girl, my family and the more than 6 million inhabitants of my country,” expressed the 23-year-old young woman.
Hours before the Miss Universe gala, on the social network X (previously Twitter) a photo went viral of Palacios where she is seen with blue and white flags with the Nicaraguan songwriter/singer Carlos Mejía Godoy participating in the civic marches which were held in the country during the 2018 rebellion.
In the face of this Ortega supporters called Sheynnis “Miss Roadblock” and harshly criticized her. Nevertheless, the night of her coronation, Fidel Moreno, the general secretary of the Municipal Government of Managua, personally expressed his congratulations to the family of Sheynnis Palacios.
Miss COVID
The biggest critics of Miss Nicaragua 2023 at that time were the hosts of the propagandistic Viva Nicaragua Channel 13 in the morning show “Viva la Vida” during a segment called “El Cotilleo” [Gossip], where they criticize and slander different public figures, national as well as international.
On one occasion the host Francelyz Sandoval pointed out that she would no longer call her “Miss Buñuelos” [Miss Fritters], but “Miss COVID 2020” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The presentation of the grackle
The presentation of Sheynnis Palacios in her fantasy costume was one of the presentations most criticized by government supporters. The host of Channel 13, Victor Portocarrero, even appeared on the television screen dressed in black plastic bags, trying to imitate the dress that the young woman wore, representing the grackle, an abundant and beautiful bird in Nicaragua.
“Here is the grackle, I´m from Nicaragua,” said the host. Portocarrero stated that Sheynnis Palacios would not get to be part of any of the top candidates for Miss Universe.
“Young people, I think that things start in the home and if in the Miss World Nicaragua [contest] we saw her where her response went off on a tangent, to put it one way, sincerely I do not see her nominated for a top position, I do not see her in the big leagues, if she gets there. So, Sheynnis, take advantage of your stay over there, take a photo, because it will only live in your memories,” stated Victor in a mocking way.
Channel 13 was not the only communications media of the regime which tried to humiliate the young woman. On November 17th, one day before the Miss Universe contest, the pro-government Channel 8 published on their web site a note which disparaged the grackle and compared it to the mot-mot. They titled the article “The grackle, a bird which feeds off of garbage and insects.”
“Even though this bird has its own virtues, its reputation as an opportunistic and at times disagreeable bird excludes it from being considered the national representative. The Mot-mot with its exceptional beauty incarnates the very essence of the Nicaraguan identity,” emphasizes the note.
Miss Fritters
Some weeks ago it became known that the same host of Channel 13, Francelyz Sandoval, baptized Palacios as “Miss Fritters” during the transmission of the morning show, disparaging a family business that the young woman promoted with pride.
“Miss Teen Fritters, what happens is that I do not want to give her publicity, she sells fritters. She sells fritters with her Mom,” stated Sandoval, referring to the family business that Palacios promoted on social networksalong with her grandmother.
“I sold fritters in the university to pay for my studies. I had a 100% scholarship for tuition and now I can say with great pride that I have a Licentiate in Communications and it was thanks to the work that my mom taught me,” proudly said the new Miss Universe, Sheynnis Palacios, in the program “Al Rojo Vivo” [Red Hot] during her visit in Miami.
Palacios is a graduate of the Social Communications major of the now illegal and terminated Jesuit institution, the Central American University.
Publications of followers of the regime
For his part, the Sandinista deputy and former Ombudsperson for Children, Carlos Emilio López, held a campaign in his social networks against Sheynnis. After her coronation, he erased those posts, but there had already been screen captures of his attacks.
Meanwhile on the social network X different users like Verónica Masis said, “Miss Roadblock, the Gringo Ambassador is giving you this crown to later start a riot.” The message is accompanied by a photo of Palacios during a march in the month of June 2018.
The mural which was not able to be finished
On the afternoon of Tuesday November 21, it became known on social networks that the artists Vink Art and Torch Místico were prevented from doing a mural in honor of Sheynnis Palacios in the city of Estelí. The artists were forced to paint the wall white by the Police of the regime.
“That is as far as the mural got. We had the intention to finish it, we fulfilled our word, but the authorities did not allow it to continue,” both muralists published in their Instagram and TikTok accounts, showing a photo where the unfinished work of the face of Miss Universe 2023 can be seen. According to denouncements, both young people had been detained by policed dressed as civilians and released a little later.
The crown came and the regime tried to clean up its image
A few hours after the coronation of Sheynnis Palacios as Miss Universe, the general secretary of the Municipal Government of Managua, Fidel Moreno, appeared at the home of the young woman to transmit the first congratulations of the Government to her family.
Reyna Rueda also showed up, the mayor of Managua; and the Vice Mayor, Enrique Armas, these latter people carrying bunches of flowers adorned with the colors of the Sandinista Party, red and black.
In addition, all the social networks of the different pro-government media published the coronation of Sheynnis Palacios as Miss Universe 2023, as well as the different photos and videos of the celebration in different parts of the country on the night of November 18th.
On Sunday November 19th the Ortega-Murillo regime congratulated Sheynnis Palacios, crowned as Miss Universe 2023 the previous night. “Nicaragua celebrates with legitimate pride and joy the coronation of Miss Universe for its beautiful representative, Sheynnis Palacios Cornejo,” reads the beginning of the press release, which was not signed by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
“We participate in the just rejoicing of Sheynnis, her family and our people, and the celebration of Central America in reaching our region, for the first time, this throne of beauty and talent of our women and our hard-working and humble communities,” expresses the document, only signed by the Communications and Citizenship Council.
On November 22nds, Rosario Murillo launched into a hateful speech loaded with innuendos against critics and dissidents, mentioning that they want to take advantage of “so much beauty, joy and talent”, of a “pretty girl”, referring to Sheynnis Palacios.
“May the vain, bad-crazies quit taking advantage of so much Nicaraguan beauty, joy and talent. May they quit fondling the well-deserved triumphs of a pretty girl, to hide their insignificance and incapacity, and quit clouding with their ridiculous and tawdry delirium our blessed waters,” Murillo expressed.