Phoenix 24
A beauty title has become another expression of Nicaragua’s displaced civic life.
MIAMI, FLORIDA
Jasmine Blandford has been crowned Miss Universe Nicaragua 2026 during a ceremony held in Miami, receiving the national title from her predecessor, Itza Castillo. Blandford will represent Nicaragua at the 75th Miss Universe competition, scheduled for November in Puerto Rico.
Born in the United States to Nicaraguan parents connected to the Caribbean community of Kukra Hill, Blandford represents Nicaragua’s South Caribbean Coast and speaks English and Spanish. She has worked internationally as a model, including appearances at Miami Swim Week, and has built an online audience exceeding 420,000 followers. She is the second Afro-descendant Caribbean woman to hold Nicaragua’s principal beauty title, following Scharllette Allen in 2010.
Unlike a conventional national pageant, the 2026 edition did not involve contestants competing during the coronation ceremony. The organisation cancelled the usual selection process and officially appointed Blandford. She will attempt to secure Nicaragua’s fourth consecutive placement at Miss Universe, continuing a period of international success that began when Sheynnis Palacios won the global crown in 2023.
Palacios attended the Miami gala alongside Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig and received a special tribute for becoming Nicaragua’s first Miss Universe winner. Her victory remains culturally significant but also politically sensitive. After Nicaraguans publicly celebrated the result in 2023, authorities accused former national pageant director Karen Celebertti and members of her family of conspiracy and treason, allegations that forced the organisation’s leadership into exile.
The Nicaraguan franchise subsequently transferred its operations to Florida, where organisers say they can protect participants and conduct events more safely. Miami has now hosted the coronation for a second consecutive year. Blandford’s appointment therefore carries a meaning extending beyond pageantry: it reflects how political repression can relocate cultural institutions while diaspora communities continue representing a national identity outside the country’s borders.
Lo visible y lo oculto, en contexto. / The visible and the hidden, in context.