Miss Nicaragua Won Miss Universe And Unexpectedly Became A Symbol Of Resistance
Sheynnis Palacios’s victory led people to take to the streets waving the Nicaragua flag, something that has not been done en masse in a long time.
![Miss Nicaragua Won Miss Universe And Unexpectedly Became A Symbol Of Resistance](/content/images/size/w1200/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/miss-nicaragua-universe-sheynnis-palacios-flag-resistance.jpg)
Miss Nicaragua won Miss Universe for the first time and it unexpectedly became a symbol of resistance.
![Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacio](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/miss-nicaragua-sheynnis-palacios.jpg)
On Saturday, November 18, 23-year-old Sheynnis Palacios became the first Nicaraguan to win the Miss Universe title.
![Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios attends the 72nd Miss Universe Competition](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/miss-nicaragua-sheynnis-palacios-attends-the-the-72nd-miss-universe-competition.jpg)
She won the beauty pageant in a dress inspired by the Nicaraguan flag, which depicts blue and white stripes and the country’s coat of arms at the center.
![Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios miss universe 2023](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/miss-nicaragua-sheynnis-palacios-miss-universe-2023.jpg)
![miss universe Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/miss-universe-miss-nicaragua-sheynnis-palacios.jpg)
Her victory was celebrated throughout the country and led people to take to the streets waving the Nicaragua flag.
![bloody flag during a protest against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega government](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/bloody-flag-during-a-protest-against-nicaraguan-president-daniel-ortega-government.jpg)
But actually, raising the Nicaraguan flag is seen as a symbol of resistance in the country and has not been done en masse in a long time.
![protests against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega government](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/protests-against-nicaraguan-president-daniel-ortega-government.jpg)
That’s because the country has been ruled by president Daniel Ortega for the past 17 years, turning the country into a dictatorship.
Under his rule, the government has cracked down on independent news outlets and suppressed political opposition, according to human rights groups.
![Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega and Commander in Chief of the Nicaraguan Army General Julio Aviles](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/nicaragua-president-daniel-ortega-and-commander-in-chief-of-the-nicaraguan-army-general-julio-aviles.jpg)
Activists are calling Palacios’ win “a beacon of unity and hope”, as she comes from a low-income background like many in the country.
![2023 Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-miss-nicaragua-sheynnis-palacios.jpg)
Following her win, the Nicaragua government allegedly tried to prevent Palacios’ from boarding a plane back to Nicaragua.
![Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios swimming suits](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/miss-nicaragua-sheynnis-palacios-swimming-suits.jpg)
The order was later lifted, according to a Nicaraguan journalist, and the government issued an official statement congratulating Palacios on November 19.
![Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government in Managua 2023 miss universe](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/a-demonstrator-shows-a-bloody-flag-during-a-protest-against-nicaraguan-president-daniel-ortegas-government-in-managua-2023-miss-universe.jpg)
Palacios has not voiced a political opinion about the Nicaraguan government.
![Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/miss-nicaragua-sheynnis-palacios.jpg)
She dedicated her win to “all the girls around the world, her inner child, her family, and her country’s more than 6 million people.”
![Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios child](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/miss-nicaragua-sheynnis-palacios-child.png)