Sheynnis Palacios

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Palaciosand the second or maternal family name is Cornejo.

Sheynnis Palacios
Palacios in 2024
Born	Sheynnis Alondra Palacios Cornejo (2000-05-30) 30 May 2000 (age 23) Managua, Nicaragua
Alma mater	Central American University
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) [1]
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title	Miss Teen Nicaragua 2016 Miss Mundo Nicaragua 2020 Miss Nicaragua 2023 Miss Universe 2023
Major competition(s)	Miss Mundo Nicaragua 2020 (Winner) Miss World 2022 (Top 40) Miss Nicaragua 2023 (Winner) Miss Universe 2023 (Winner)

Sheynnis Alondra Palacios Cornejo ^[2] (Spanish pronunciation: [ʃejˈnispalaˈsjos] ; born 30 May 2000) is a Nicaraguan model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2023. Having previously been crowned Miss Nicaragua 2023, she is the first Nicaraguan to win Miss Universe and the first to win one of the Big Four international beauty pageants.

Prior to Miss Universe, Palacios competed in Miss World 2021 as Miss World Nicaragua 2020, reaching the top 40.

Early life and education

Palacios was born on 30 May 2000, at Hospital Alemán Nicaragüense in Managua to parents Raquel Guadalupe Cornejo Pichardo and Édgar Arístides Palacios García. ^{[3] [4] [5]} Palacios later grew up in the town of Diriamba in Carazo Department, and was educated at La Salle Managua Pedagogical Institute in Managua. At the school, she won the Miss Lasallista beauty pageant, beginning her interest in pageantry. ^{[5] [6]} Afterwards, Palacios enrolled in the Central American University in Managua, graduating with a bachelor's degree in mass communication in 2022. ^{[5] [7]} While a university student, Palacios played on her school's varsity volleyball team. In order to pay for her education, Palacios made and sold buñuelos with her mother and maternal grandmother, for which she was bullied at school. ^{[4] [8]} In her youth, Palacios suffered from anxiety attacks, which later inspired her to adopt mental health awareness as her pageant platform. ^{[9] [7]}

Prior to becoming Miss Universe, Palacios was working as a model, television presenter, and journalist in Nicaragua, and presented a show called Entiende tu mente, which discussed topics related to mental health. ^{[5] [6]}

Pageantry

Palacios as Miss World Nicaragua 2020

Palacios's first pageant was in 2016, where she won Miss Teen Nicaragua 2016. ^[7] She went on to represent her country at Teen Universe 2017, where she reached the top six. ^{[10] [11]}

She later took a break from pageantry until returning to compete in Miss World Nicaragua 2020, which she went on to win. ^[12] As Miss World Nicaragua, Palacios represented Nicaragua at Miss World 2021. ^{[13] [14]} Miss World 2021 was originally planned to be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 16 December 2021. ^[15] Two days prior to the pageant's broadcast, several cases of COVID-19 began to be reported amongst contestants and staff, which led to the cancelation and postponement of the pageant's final show. ^{[16] [17] [18] [19]} The pageant was later rescheduled for 16 March 2022, with only the 40 selected semi-finalists being invited to return to compete; Palacios was ultimately selected as one of the 40, but did not advance further in the competition. ^{[20] [21] [22]}

Palacios won Miss Nicaragua 2023 in August 2023, earning the right to represent her country at Miss Universe 2023. ^[23]

Miss Universe 2023

Main article: Miss Universe 2023

Palacios in Costa Rica with the Miss Universe organization.

As Miss Nicaragua, Palacios competed in and won Miss Universe 2023, on 18 November in San Salvador, El Salvador. ^{[24] [25] [26] [27] [28]} Palacios became the first Nicaraguan to be crowned Miss Universe, and the first Nicaraguan to win any of the Big Four international beauty pageants. ^{[29] [11]} She is also the first Central American to win Miss Universe outright, following Justine Pasek of Panama who became Miss Universe 2002 following the resignation of original winner Oxana Fedorova. ^[5]

In her capacity as Miss Universe, Palacios has traveled to El Salvador, the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, Qatar, Brazil, Costa Rica, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and China. ^{[30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35]}

Political controversy

Palacios's victory was controveral in Nicaragua, due to pictures of her participation in the 2018–2022 Nicaraguan protests against President Daniel Ortega. ^[36] Palacios's victory was celebrated by members of the Nicaraguan opposition, which led to Vice President and First Lady Rosario Murillo denouncing what she called "evil, terrorist commentators making a clumsy and insulting attempt to turn what should be a beautiful and well-deserved moment of pride into destructive coup-mongering." ^[36] Ortega's government initially expressed "legitimate joy and pride" following Palacios's victory at the pageant, but later reportedly prevented two artists from completing a mural dedicated to Palacios in the city of Estelí. ^{[37] [36]}

Nicaraguan police also accused Karen Celebertti, the owner of the Miss Nicaragua franchise, of deliberately rigging beauty contests in favor of competitors critical of the government as part of a coup plot, ^[38] leading to her retiring from the Nicaraguan pageant industry shortly afterwards. ^[39] On February 13, 2024, Celebertti announced she would be the new Director of Talent Development for the Miss Universe Organization. ^[40]

References

1. Litaud, Emmanuelle; Mercereau, Damien (19 November 2023). "Miss Univers 2023: Sheynnis Palacios (Miss Nicaragua) vainqueur, énorme déception pour Diane Leyre". Le Figaro (in French).
2. "Sheynnis Palacios is Miss World Nicaragua 2020". Vos TV (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2020.
3. "¿Quién es Sheynnis Palacios, la primera nicaragüense en ganar el Miss Universo 2023?". eju.tv (in Spanish). 19 November 2023.
4. "Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Universo 2023: «Vendía buñuelos en la universidad para costearme mis estudios»". Nicaragua Investiga (in Spanish). 21 November 2023.
5. "Nicaragüenses celebran en ciudad natal de Sheynnis Palacios, a la nueva Miss Universo 2023". El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 November 2023.
6. Quesada, Paulina (19 November 2023). "¿Quién es Sheynnis Palacios, la guapa LICENCIADA y modelo GANADORA del Miss Universo 2023?". Azteca Bajio (in Spanish).
7. "10 datos que quizás no sabías de Sheynnis Palacios, la nueva Miss Universo". Despacho 505 (in Spanish). 7 August 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
8. "Sheynnis Palacios: De vendedora de buñuelos a ser Miss Universo". La Prensa (in Spanish). 18 November 2023.
9. "Sheynnis Palacios, modelo, promotora comunitaria y ganadora de Miss Nicaragua". Información Puntual (in Spanish). 7 August 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
10. Purnell, Kristofer. "Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua wins Miss Universe 2023, first for her country". Philstar.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
11. "Miss Nicaragua wins 2023 Miss Universe pageant". CNN. 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
12. "Sheynnis Palacios is Miss World Nicaragua 2020" (in Spanish). Vos TV. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
13. "Celebrarán concurso internacional de Miss Mundo en Puerto Rico!". Metro (in Spanish). 8 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
14. "Miss Universe 2023 winner is Nicaragua: A look at her crowning moments". Hindustan Times. 19 November 2023.
15. "Celebrarán concurso internacional de Miss Mundo en Puerto Rico!". Metro (in Spanish). 8 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
16. "They identify positive cases of COVID-19 related to Miss World activities | The Goa Sportlight". 16 December 2021. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
17. sao, Ngôi. "17 người ở Miss World dương tính Covid-19". Ngoisao. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
18. "17 people at Miss World 2021 pageant test positive for Covid-19 in Puerto Rico". The National. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
19. "Miss World 2021 postponed hours before finale amid Covid-19 outbreak". CNN. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
20. "Press Release – 21st December 2021". Instagram.com. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
21. "Miss World 2021 new pageant finale date has been announced". 22 December 2021.
22. "Miss World 2021: Who is crown winner Karolina Bielawska? check full list". Business Today . 17 March 2022.
23. "Sheynnis Palacios Crowned Miss Universe Nicaragua 2023". InformationWapi.com. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
24. Loreto, Maria (27 July 2023). "Miss Universe unveils teaser for upcoming competition". ¡Hola! . Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
25. Severo, Jan Milo. "El Salvador to host 72nd Miss Universe at the end of 2023". Philstar.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
26. Gillett, Katy (15 January 2023). "Miss Universe 2023 to take place in El Salvador". The National. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
27. Abad, Ysa (19 November 2023). "Nicaragua's Sheynnis Palacios is Miss Universe 2023". Rappler . Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
28. "Miss Nicaragua 2023: Sheynnis Palacios". Telemundo (in Spanish). 17 October 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
29. Willis, Kim (19 November 2023). "Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios wins Miss Universe 2023 in history-making competition". USA Today .
30. Rees, Alex (19 November 2023). "Miss Nicaragua wins 2023 Miss Universe pageant". CNN. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
31. Gómez, Shirley (20 November 2023). "Exclusive: Sheynnis Palacios's first 48 hours as Miss Universe: What is she doing after the pageant?". Hola! USA .
32. Gómez, Shirley (13 December 2023). "Sheynnis Palacios takes Nicaraguan fashion around the world". Hola! USA .
33. "Sheynnis Palacios ditches her bob haircut: Her first change of look since Miss Universe win". HOLA. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
34. Visapra, Phontham (8 April 2024). "Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios Receives Heartwarming Welcome in Laos". Laotian Times. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
35. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
36. Selser, Gabriela (24 November 2023). "Nicaragua's Miss Universe title win exposes deep political divide in the Central American country". Associated Press. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
37. "Nicaragua bars pageant head after Ortega critic wins Miss Universe: media". France 24. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
38. Selser, Gabriela (2 December 2023). "Police charge director of Miss Nicaragua pageant with running 'beauty queen coup' plot". Associated Press. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
39. Selser, Gabriela (12 December 2023). "Miss Nicaragua pageant director announces her retirement after accusations of 'conspiracy'". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
40. "Karen Celebertti y su hija presentadas como parte de la junta directiva de Miss Universo". 100% Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2024.

External links

• Miss Universe official website

Awards and achievements
Preceded by R'Bonney Gabriel	Miss Universe 2023	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Norma Huembes	Miss Nicaragua 2023	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by María Teresa Cortez	Miss World Nicaragua 2020	Succeeded by Mariela Cerros