Bukele touts political success as Nicaragua is crowned Miss Universe in El Salvador

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele illuminated his country’s political progress and future potential on stage late Saturday night at the Miss Universe competition.

Miss Nicaragua's Sheynnis Palacios won the competition Saturday night in the Central American country, the first from her nation to wear the crown.

The 23-year-old Latina stunner is a communicologist, who has ambitions to illuminate mental health awareness after having endured anxiety herself.

The first runner-up was Anntonia Porsild, Miss Thailand, and the second was Aussie Moraya Wilson, Miss Australia

Palacios took the crown in a contest with 83 other women in the 72nd edition of the competition.

The Nicaraguan appeared to emerge as the victor when, without hesitation, she answered a question about which woman’s shoes would she like to spend a year in.

Palacios said she would want to spend a year in the life as Mary Wollstonecraft, an 18th-century English advocate of women’s rights who worked as a philosopher and writer.

Wollstonecraft is revered as one of history’s mothers of feminism.

She added that she would like to help find ways to narrow the gender salary gap so that women are encouraged to pursue their professional ambitions.

Miss Universe was last held in El Salvador nearly five decades ago in 1975. This year’s event gave Bukele an opportunity to highlight some of the changes he’s made, especially in terms of fighting crime and improving safety.

“El Salvador has changed for good and we have shown it again,” Bukele said to the stadium audience Saturday night. “Miss Universe has given us the opportunity to show the world what we are capable of. Thank you for choosing to be part of El Salvador’s rebirth.”

The Salvadoran president is currently running for reelection at odds with a term limit embedded in the country’s constitution, which has stirred up political controversy between the right and left.

He is hugely popular for his crackdown on the nation’s gangs, particularly MS-13, and has received praise from supporters of law enforcement while also enduring criticism for minimizing human rights.

Under Bukele’s command, a state of emergency was declared in March 2022, giving the president special powers. To date, more than 72,000 people have been arrested without due process.

Bukele has attributed the move to skyrocketing gang violence.