Twenty-three-year-old model and communications graduate, Sheynnis Palacios, made history on 18 November night (19 November in the Philippines) by clinching Nicaragua's first Miss Universe crown.

She was proclaimed winner of the 72nd iteration of the international beauty pageant, besting 83 other contestants, at the José Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador.

During the finals night, 27-year-old Danish-Thai model and entrepreneur Anntonia Porsild, representing Thailand, was declared first runner-up, while 22-year-old sports coach and model Moraya Wilson from Australia emerged as second runner-up.

Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel from the United States crowned Palacios.

Meanwhile, Philippine bet Michelle Marquez Dee made it as one of the 10 finalists.

During the final question-and-answer, the three finalists answered the same question: "If you
could live one year in another woman's shoes, who would you choose, and why?" Palacios, an audiovisual producer and mental health advocate from Managua, replied: "I would choose Mary Wollstonecraft because she opened the gap, and gave an opportunity to many women.

What I would do, I would want that gap, that income gap, would open up so that women could work in any area that they chose to work in because there's no limitation for women. That was in 1750. Now in 2023, we're making history."