Sheynnis Palacios, the recent winner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant from Nicaragua, is facing accusations of involvement in an alleged foreign-backed plot to overthrow the country’s authoritarian government.

Initially celebrated by President Daniel Ortega, the mood soured after images surfaced of Palacios participating in anti-government protests in 2018.

The director of Nicaragua’s national beauty pageant, Karen Celebertti, has been charged with engineering a “foreign-backed plot” due to Palacios’s support for pro-democracy demonstrations. Celebertti is accused of rigging competitions to ensure anti-government contestants won.

Palacios’s win led to renewed protests, defying a ban on demonstrations, with some interpreting her attire during the pageant as a reference to the banned national flag.

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/sheynnispalacios_of/