Nicaraguan Government Targets Miss Universe Franchise Amid Crackdown on Dissent

Pageant winner Sheynnis Palacios' past protest participation sparks backlash, leading to charges against pageant operators for 'conspiring against the nation'.

Sheynnis Palacios, the first Central American to win the Miss Universe pageant, has become a symbol of national pride and change in Nicaragua, a country under the increasingly oppressive rule of President Daniel Ortega.
Following Palacios' win, photos emerged of her participating in mass anti-government protests in 2018, leading to a backlash from the government.
Nicaraguan police have accused the family that operates the country's Miss Universe franchise, including Karen Celebertti, a former beauty queen, of 'conspiring against the nation' and using the pageants to boost the opposition.
Celebertti, her husband, and son face charges including organized crime and funding the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and are currently in custody.
The government's actions against the Miss Universe franchise and its crackdown on dissent have led to international criticism and sanctions, but have not significantly affected Ortega's hold on power.