Nicaraguan police on Friday night charged the owner of the local Miss Universe franchise with conspiracy, money laundering and spreading fake news, just weeks after the Central American nation’s first victory in the pageant.
Authorities have accused Karen Celebertti, director of the Miss Nicaragua franchise, her husband and son of conspiracy against the government, according to a statement issued by the national police.
Celebertti’s local Miss Universe organization has been used to “turn pageants into political traps and political ambushes, financed by foreign agents,” the police statement said.
Reuters could not immediately reach Celebertti or his representatives for comment.
Celebertti was banned from entering the country on October 21, and her husband and son were detained in Nicaragua on conspiracy charges dating back to 2018. Authorities said they played a role in organizing anti-government protests.
Nicaraguan Sheynnis Palacios won the Miss Universe title on November 18, becoming the first Central American to wear the crown. Palacios has not returned to Nicaragua since her victory and now resides in New York.
Palacios’ victory was celebrated by Nicaraguans in the streets. Police now accuse organizers of trying to stage anti-government protests.
The government had banned protests following a violent crackdown on widespread anti-government demonstrations in 2018 that left more than 320 dead, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Source: Ambito
