Miss Universe and Cuba
By Francisco Acevedo
HAVANA TIMES – The words in the title of this article couldn’t be more opposites, but it seems they will come together soon.
This is thanks to an initiative strictly in Miami aiming to bring Cuba back to the famous Miss Universe program, which crowns the most beautiful woman in the world. The 2024 edition will feature a representative from the Caribbean island on November 16 in Mexico, the contest’s host country.
Fifty-seven years after Fidel Castro prohibited Cuban women from participating, the flag of the lone star will once again be seen among the contestants. Who knows if she may even advance to the decisive stages?
Last Thursday, a gala took place in Miami to choose the representative of Cuba for this prestigious pageant. The winner was Marianela Ancheta, who will be the first woman born on the island to step onto that stage since 1967.
The selection was not without controversy. The popular influencer Alexander Otaola revealed the winner’s name more than a month ago, suggesting that it was because she didn’t want to talk about politics and had connections with several well-known and powerful figures in the entertainment industry.
This first phase saw several dropouts along the way, not all of them due to the competition itself. Some girls withdrew, though the exact reasons remain unclear. Specifically, the mother of Rachel Vallori, who represented Isla de la Juventud (though she was born in the capital), publicly denounced the situation. Vallori had no choice but to step down, citing personal and professional issues. Her mother implied that not all contestants were treated equally and added that her daughter had been very excited about winning the crown.
Those who watched this Miami phase said the lack of experience affected the smoothness of the television production, which had its flaws. But that’s somewhat expected when something is just starting.
Personally, I’m not a fan of this type of contest, or really of any contest, but I’m not an enemy of them either.
I believe anyone who wants to compete to be the most beautiful, the smartest, or even the heaviest has every right to do so (not long ago, Brazil awarded a prize for the most beautiful vagina, for example), and for those who enjoy these shows, congratulations.
However, in the case of Cuba, as is currently the case in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ukraine, or any other country with a turbulent political context, there’s a risk that serious issues will overshadow the glamour. This is a blessing for almost everyone but a problem for the organizers.
Since I, along with the majority of those reading this, belong to the first group, it’s welcome news that the beautiful faces and bodies will be accompanied by intelligence and social commitment.
This is an ideal platform to send an important message because the media exposure these women have and will have is a golden opportunity to use it for a noble cause.
For now, it seems Ancheta doesn’t intend to speak about the government of the country where she was born and left at age 13, as she indicated during this national phase. But perhaps things will change.
In fact, in an interview this past weekend with Telemundo, she said Miss Universe provides a voice to address the world’s social problems. We’ll see if this was just a phrase to please or if she’s truly willing to go deep.
Obviously, this is not the reality of Cuban women in Cuba, as most women in this country have much more important things to focus on. Of course, they would love to dedicate time to enhancing their bodies and minds.
Unfortunately, most young women in Cuba are currently thinking about leaving the island for a place where they don’t have to worry about poor-quality bread, inevitable blackouts during the day, lack of water, or the difficulty of moving within or out of their municipalities, among a long list of current hardships.
Since this is happening outside of Cuba, there’s less risk of it being manipulated as was done with the Chanel fashion show or the Rolling Stones concert to create the illusion that everything is fine. However, if Ancheta doesn’t raise her voice on that stage, she will be just another contestant.
I dare say that if she advances in the contest, it will be because many want to hear her speak about her homeland, not because she has more talent than others, who are better prepared, with much more time and an entire support system behind them, which she doesn’t have.
The fact that the age limit for contestants has also been raised (it’s now open, as long as they are over 18, rather than the previous limit of 28, as it was until 2023) is a subtle invitation for women to express how they feel. Since they are more mature, they have solid opinions about the world around them and are not as bound by what organizers and advisors dictate, though that will always have significant influence.
The Cuban candidate is 31, and most of the island’s aspirants in Miami were around that age. Cuba returns to these stages after almost six decades, and probably to stay.