“We see the rude use, and the crude and evil terrorist communication, which seeks to turn a beautiful and well-deserved moment of pride and celebration into a destructive coup,” said the co-ruler of the dictatorship to official media.
Palacios, 23, won the Miss Universe pageant in San Salvador on Saturday and her victory was praised by the Ortega government and opponents in exile, and sparked street celebrations in Managua and other cities in the country.
The young woman went viral on the social networks of exiles and was featured in the Nicaraguan press critical of Ortega, which is published abroad, highlighting her political side, in addition to her beauty.
Palacios’ victory brought Nicaraguans to the streets, which had not been seen since demonstrations were banned in 2018. They waved the country’s flags euphorically, amid dancing and cheering.
In addition, photos circulate on social networks in which Palacios is seen with a flag of Nicaragua at an opposition rally in 2018.
The protests that year left more than 350 dead due to the State’s response. The Ortega regime considered that it was an attempted coup d’état promoted by Washington.
“No to the grotesque manipulation of the interested and selfish, the greedy, the always ambitious, no to the distortion of beauty,” said Murillo.
“Let the vain, crazy-bad people stop taking advantage of so much Nicaraguan beauty, joy and talent. Let them stop manipulating the well-deserved triumphs of a pretty girl, to hide their insignificance and inability,” Murillo added.
On Tuesday, the opposition press claimed that the authorities prevented two young artists from completing a mural with the face of the young Miss Universe in the northern city of Estelí, on the wall of a home.
FOUNTAIN: With information from AFP
