Sheynnis Palacios | |
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![]() Palacios in 2021 | |
Born | Sheynnis Alondra Palacios Cornejo 30 May 2000 Diriamba, Nicaragua |
Alma mater | Central American University |
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] |
Beauty pageant titleholder | |
Title | Miss Teen Nicaragua 2016 Miss World Nicaragua 2020 Miss Nicaragua 2023 Miss Universe 2023 |
Hair colour | Black |
Eye colour | Brown |
Major competition(s) | Miss World Nicaragua 2020 (Winner) Miss World 2021 (Top 40) Miss Nicaragua 2023 (Winner) Miss Universe 2023 (Winner) |
Sheynnis Alondra Palacios Cornejo[2] (born 30 May 2000) is a Nicaraguan model and beauty pageant titleholder 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, placing in the Top 40.
Early life and education
Palacios was born on 30 May 2000, in Diriamba, Nicaragua to mother Raquel Cornejo.[3][4] Palacios was educated at La Salle Managua Pedagogical Institute in Managua, where she won the Miss Lasallista beauty pageant, beginning her interest in pageantry.[5] Afterwards, Palacios enrolled in the Central American University in Managua, graduating with a bachelor's degree in mass communication in 2022.[4][6] 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.[3][7] In her youth, Palacios suffered from anxiety attacks, which later inspired her to adopt mental health awareness as her pageant platform.[8][6]
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.[4][5]
Pageantry

Palacios entered the pageantry industry in 2016, after being crowned Miss Teen Nicaragua 2016.[6] She went on to represent her country at the Teen Universe 2017 pageant, where she placed in the Top 6.[9][10]
She later took a break from pageantry until returning to compete in Miss World Nicaragua 2020, which she went on to win. As Miss World Nicaragua, Palacios represented Nicaragua at Miss World 2021.[11][12] Miss World 2021 was originally planned to be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 16 December 2021.[13] 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.[14][15][16][17] 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.[18][19][20]
In 2023, Palacios was announced as one of the contestants for Miss Nicaragua 2023. The pageant was held in August 2023, where Palacios went on to win the title, earning the right to represent her country at Miss Universe 2023.[21]
Miss Universe 2023
As Miss Nicaragua, Palacios competed at Miss Universe 2023. The pageant was held on 18 November in San Salvador, El Salvador.[22][23][24] On the night of finals, Palacios advanced into the Top 20, becoming just the fifth Nicaraguan representative to reach the semifinals, and later advanced into the Top 10, Top 5, and Top 3 as well.[25] Following the final question portion of the pageant, Palacios was announced as the pageant's winner, besting first runner-up Anntonia Porsild of Thailand.[26] Upon her victory, Palacios became the first Nicaraguan to be crowned Miss Universe, and the first Nicaraguan to win any of the Big Four international beauty pageants.[27][10] She is also the first Central American to win the pageant outright, following Justine Pasek of Panama, who became Miss Universe 2002 following the resignation of original winner Oxana Fedorova.[4]
Palacios's victory led to controversy in Nicaragua, due to pictures of her having participated in the 2018–2022 Nicaraguan protests against President Daniel Ortega.[28] 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."[28] 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.[29][28] Additionally, Karen Celebertti, the owner of the Miss Nicaragua franchise, and her daughter were reportedly briefly detained upon their return to Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua before being placed on a flight to Mexico; Celebertti's husband was also reportedly briefly detained by authorities, and their home was searched.[28][29] Nicaraguan police later accused Celebertti of deliberately rigging beauty contests in favor of competitors critical of the government as part of a coup plot.[30]
In her capacity as Miss Universe, Palacios has traveled to El Salvador, the United States, and Mexico.[31][32]
References
- ↑ Litaud, Emmanuelle; Mercereau, Damien (19 November 2023). "Miss Univers 2023 : Sheynnis Palacios (Miss Nicaragua) vainqueur, énorme déception pour Diane Leyre". Le Figaro (in French).
- ↑ "Sheynnis Palacios is Miss World Nicaragua 2020". Vos TV (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- 1 2 "Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Universo 2023: «Vendía buñuelos en la universidad para costearme mis estudios»". Nicaragua Investiga (in Spanish). 21 November 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 "Nicaragüenses celebran en ciudad natal de Sheynnis Palacios, a la nueva Miss Universo 2023". El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 November 2023.
- 1 2 Quesada, Paulina (19 November 2023). "¿Quién es Sheynnis Palacios, la guapa LICENCIADA y modelo GANADORA del Miss Universo 2023?". Azteca Bajio (in Spanish).
- 1 2 3 "10 datos que quizás no sabías de Sheynnis Palacios, la nueva Miss Universo". Despacho 505 (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ↑ "Sheynnis Palacios: De vendedora de buñuelos a ser Miss Universo". La Prensa (in Spanish). 18 November 2023.
- ↑ "Sheynnis Palacios, modelo, promotora comunitaria y ganadora de Miss Nicaragua". Información Puntual (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ↑ Purnell, Kristofer. "Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua wins Miss Universe 2023, first for her country". Philstar.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- 1 2 "Miss Nicaragua wins 2023 Miss Universe pageant". CNN. 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ↑ "Celebrarán concurso internacional de Miss Mundo en Puerto Rico!". Metro (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ↑ "Miss Universe 2023 winner is Nicaragua: A look at her crowning moments". Hindustan Times.
- ↑ "Celebrarán concurso internacional de Miss Mundo en Puerto Rico!". Metro (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ sao, Ngôi. "17 người ở Miss World dương tính Covid-19". Ngoisao. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ↑ "17 people at Miss World 2021 pageant test positive for Covid-19 in Puerto Rico". The National. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ↑ "Miss World 2021 postponed hours before finale amid Covid-19 outbreak". CNN. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ↑ "Press Release – 21st December 2021". Instagram.com. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
- ↑ "Miss World 2021 new pageant finale date has been announced". 22 December 2021.
- ↑ "Miss World 2021: Who is crown winner Karolina Bielawska? check full list". Business Today. 17 March 2022.
- ↑ "Sheynnis Palacios Crowned Miss Universe Nicaragua 2023". InformationWapi.com. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "Miss Nicaragua 2023: Sheynnis Palacios". Telemundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ↑ Willis, Kim (19 November 2023). "Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios wins Miss Universe 2023 in history-making competition". USA Today.
- 1 2 3 4 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.
- 1 2 "Nicaragua bars pageant head after Ortega critic wins Miss Universe: media". France 24. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ↑ Selser, Gabriela (2 December 2023). "Police charge director of Miss Nicaragua pageant with running 'beauty queen coup' plot". Associated Press. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ↑ Rees, Alex (19 November 2023). "Miss Nicaragua wins 2023 Miss Universe pageant". CNN. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ↑ Gómez, Shirley (20 November 2023). "Exclusive: Sheynnis Palacios's first 48 hours as Miss Universe: What is she doing after the pageant?". Hola! USA.
External links
