Is Cuba Returning to Miss Universe After 57 Years?

The Caribbean nation of Cuba has not participated in the Miss Universe beauty pageant in 57 years. But recently, social media posts on the alleged “official” Miss Universe Cuba Instagram account started popping up, sparking rumors of a possible return to the competition. This year’s Miss Universe pageant is set to take place on Saturday, September 2024, in Mexico. 

Cuba’s history with Miss Universe dates back to 1952, a time when the nation was a participant in the pageant. The competition was banned in Cuba in 1960 due to political and financial tensions tied to a U.S. embargo against Cuba, leading to a 57-year hiatus. However, between 1961 and 1967, beauty queens participated in the pageant as “Miss Cuba Free.” Recent developments, including the emergence of the new Miss Universe Cuba account on Instagram and Anne Jakrajutatip’s expressed interest in visiting Cuba, hint at a potential return for Cuba.

The Instagram account, which started posting on April 1st, certainly looks official and seems to anticipate something is coming, promising great news and a new National Director for Miss Universe Cuba. No name has yet been announced in the Miss Universe official accounts. But the alleged official account is sharing coverage of their possible return, social media accounts to follow, and a website.

This comes after the official Miss Universe account started debuting its newest directors for Miss Universe.

The 2024 Miss Universe pageant is set to be the most diverse yet. It’s the first to take place after the elimination of the age limits, which means any woman over 18 can participate. The 2023 pageant already made history, with the first married women and mothers participating in the contest. Last year’s pageant also saw only the second and third trans contestants in Miss Universe history. 

In the grand scheme of all the changes Miss Universe has seen in the past few years, Cuba’s return to the competition might not seem as big. But for a country like Cuba, a possible return to Miss Universe, while not a solution to any real problems on the ground, would be a nice reminder that Cuba should not be forgotten.