MEXICO CITY — As Nicaragua has marched steadily toward dictatorship in recent years, its government has attacked opposition politicians, the Catholic Church, journalists and universities.
Now it’s going after the beauty queens.
Just when authorities appeared to have squelched all forms of dissent, a willowy 23-year-old Nicaraguan, Sheynnis Palacios, won the Miss Universe pageant on Nov. 18. People poured into the streets of the Central American country in jubilation. The government initially praised the victory — then photos emerged of Palacios taking part in mass anti-government protests in 2018, which were eventually crushed by security forces.
