Examining the intersection of Miss Universe and Cuban identity through the years
Cuba’s history with the Miss Universe pageant spans from the contest’s inception in 1952 to 1960 when Fidel Castro ended the country's participation. Beauty queens like Gladys López, who was crowned Miss Cuba in 1952, and María Rosa Gamio Fernández, who placed third in 1957, highlighted Cuba’s standing in the global beauty pageant scene. However, this tradition came to a halt when Castro condemned beauty contests as superficial and a distraction from more serious matters. He famously stated that a female militia member embodies the highest form of beauty and there is no woman more beautiful than that, shifting the nation's focus to his vision of revolutionary ideals.
The resilience of Cuban exiles
Despite this official ban, Cuban exiles in Miami kept the tradition alive by crowning their own queens. The exiled community hosted its own beauty pageants, symbolizing a cultural link to the homeland they had left behind. One such figure was Elina Salabarría, crowned Miss Free Cuba in 1967, just six years after she fled Cuba with her family. Representing Cubans in exile, Salabarría participated in the Miss Universe pageant held in Miami Beach, where she competed alongside international contestants. Though untrained and without lavish preparations, she still embraced her role, donning a traditional Cuban robe in homage to her roots. Her participation, along with other exiled contestants, served as a reminder of the deep ties between Miami and Cuban heritage.
Cuba’s 57-Year absence ends
Following Salabarría’s participation in 1967, Cuba’s presence in Miss Universe vanished for decades. The pageant was no longer a platform for Cuban contestants, as the communist government dismissed the event as frivolous and disconnected from national priorities. For many years, Cuban beauty queens existed only in the memories of those who fled the island, often reminiscing about the vibrancy of pageants in pre-revolution Cuba.
In a significant turn of events, the Miss Universe Cuba franchise was revived in 2023 by Venezuelan designer Julio César Cruz, marking the end of Cuba's 57-year absence from the pageant. The winner of this year's Miss Universe Cuba, to be crowned in a Miami-based pageant, will represent the island in Mexico City on November 16, 2023. This return not only celebrates Cuba’s re-entry into the global beauty pageant scene but also highlights the cultural importance of pageantry for the Cuban exile community. For years, Miami has served as a second home for Cuban traditions, where beauty queens like Salabarría continued to embody their heritage.
The Miss Universe Cuba contest promises to be one of the most anticipated events, celebrating not only beauty but also resilience and cultural pride. As this chapter unfolds, it revives a lost legacy of Cuban participation in Miss Universe and rekindles the passion for pageants that had been stifled for so long.
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News Source: Miami Herald
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