Ortega announces her own beauty pageant after accusing Miss Nicaragua organizers of “treason”

The vice president of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo, announced this week the launch of a new beauty pageant to replace the Miss Nicaragua franchise, after months ago its organizers were accused of “treason” by the government of Daniel Ortega.

In December, the director of the Miss Nicaragua franchise, Karen Celebertti, announced her retirement from the organization of the pageant that she directed for more than 23 years, a few weeks after the Central American country managed to obtain the crown of Miss Nicaragua for the first time in its history. Miss Universe 2023.

Nicaraguan authorities accused Celebertti and her husband, Martín Argüello, of using the franchise to orchestrate “political ambushes” as part of a “conspiracy” to undermine the government.

Now, the new pageant will be called “Queens Nicaragua”, it will be launched this Friday and will be directed by Camila Ortega, daughter of President Ortega and Vice President Murillo.

Registration for this contest will be open from April 26 to May 10, and the final gala will be held on September 1 in Managua.

The winner of the contest will be awarded a prize of 71,000 Nicaraguan córdobas (about $2,000); while for the beauty who comes in second place, 36,000 córdobas ($1,000).

“We are happy to announce that on Friday, April 26, the Queens Nicaragua Contest, Ambassadors of Love, will be launched,” said Murillo.

Nicaragua won Miss Universe last year with the help of model Sheynnis Palacios, a graduate of the Central American University (UCA), a bastion of the 2018 protests, and classified by the Sandinista government as “a center of terrorism.”

The young woman participated in the demonstrations in 2018 that were repressed by the government, leaving at least 300 dead and hundreds injured and detained.

The government of Daniel Ortega reacted angrily to the celebrations of opponents for Palacios’ victory and said that they were seeking to “take advantage of a nice and well-deserved moment.”

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