Aleida Josefa Perez said she was 5 years old when her mother told her she was as beautiful as Miss Universe.
However, the pageant regular — she recently participated in the Miss Earth contest — did not see a place for herself on that world stage until this year, when Miss Universe Cuba relaunched in her hometown of Miami.
Now, Perez, whose identity is tied to her Cuban accent and her family only 90 miles away on the island, has put herself in the running to be selected as Miss Cuba. She’ll get to participate in the Miss Universe competition later this year in Mexico City.
After Miss Cuba announced its return to Miss Universe on social media in April, the organization has fielded about 1,000 applications from women like Perez, hoping to represent Cuba after decades of absence from the world’s largest beauty pageant.
“A lot of people don’t understand that exact feeling of when it’s your turn to call out your country,” Perez said, who showcased her heritage in the Miss Earth contest. “So for me, screaming ‘Cuba!’ was such an honor, and it would be an honor to do it once again.”
Miss Universe Cuba, in accordance with its parent organization, does not require candidates to have been born in the country they represent. The candidate must have at least one Cuba-born parent though.
Prince Julio César, the new director of Miss Universe Cuba who has experience directing pageants across Latin America, explained that the organization received around 1,000 applications after its first virtual casting. The team has brought the applicant pool down to 578, which it will continue to evaluate until arriving at 20 candidates who will compete on stage in Miami for the title of Miss Cuba.
The competition is looking for someone who is dedicated, disciplined and represents the Cuban people, César said.
He believes that, as the first Cuban representative at Miss Universe in decades — Cuba’s government stopped sending representatives in 1960 — Miss Cuba specifically has a heightened responsibility. “Miss Cuba has a responsibility, she has a society of Cubans who have a message to share, who have at times so many needs when they first arrive here in Florida,” he said. “I think she needs to undertake a plan of action to work to benefit that community.”
An important requisite to the new franchise is that the new Miss Cuba must speak Spanish. “Because if she is Miss Cuba, and she doesn’t speak Spanish, well that’s a little strange, right?,” César said.
Cuba’s return to Miss Universe, an effort that César says advances the goal of making Miss Universe accessible to all women, is part of a broader push for inclusivity in the organization. Last year, Miss Universe removed its age restriction, which had previously prohibited women over 28 from competing. Beginning in 2023, the organization also allowed married women and mothers to compete in the pageant for the first time in its history.
César said that the idea to bring Cuba back to the pageant came from Anne Jakrajutatip, the owner of Miss Universe. César, who has led a number of pageants in his home of Venezuela, said that the opportunity to prepare a Cuban beauty queen for the international competition excited him.
There has been no contact from the Cuban government following the announcement of the Miami-based, Cuban-branded competition, César said. He emphasized that he is not a politician and is not connected to the Cuban government. “Miss Universe, as an organization, is the only one who has the power to say who participates and who does not,” he said.
Indeed, as a potential Cuban-Nicaraguan candidate, Perez hopes to move the conversation away from politics and focus on “the honor of representing a community of beautiful women, women that are so empowering.”
For César, Cuba’s re-entry into the competition is a sign that times have changed. “I think it’s no longer the time to limit opportunities to countries for certain political reasons that are unpleasant,” he said.
All selection for Miss Universe Cuba will take place in Miami, including the televised contest, in which one woman will be named Miss Cuba. The new franchise has acquired offices to support the audition process and training — from hair and makeup to developing a social project — of the next Cuban representative.
César noted that Miami, the home of the largest Cuban diaspora community in the world, was an obvious choice for the new competition.
The return of the competition, and its new home in South Florida, has garnered both praise and criticism online. However, César said that he’s grateful for the support of prominent Cubans.
Sissi Fleitas, a Cuban actress and model known for her work on the show Sábado Gigante, reached out to César to praise the competition. According to César, she said, “when I was 20 years old, just a young girl, I dreamt of going to Miss Universe, but that could not be.”
While some have questioned how Cuban this queen in Miami will be, the comment section of Miss Universe Cuba’s Instagram has been flooded with Cuban flags and people’s picks for the next Cuban representative.
Miami, however, is the home not only of the Cuban diaspora, but also of Instagram models and influencers — which some on social media are hoping will not overtake the competition.
Adrian Peachy, in a video posted to YouTube, commented on the new competition, saying “this is not ‘Miss Influencer Cuba.’”
“Forget if she looks pretty, here you cannot just be pretty,” he continued. “You have to have a brain, not just silicone implants and operated breasts.”
César himself said that, as an ambassador and representative, the new Miss Cuba must be someone who brings more than just beauty to the table. “We do not want to work with women who are simply pretty,” he said. “I think this goes far beyond that.”
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