Tejal Somvanshi
**A Year After Finishing in the Top 5, She Returned and Won**
Mia Dio stood backstage at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay, Florida, waiting for the final announcement. Twelve months earlier, she’d competed in this same Miss Universe Cuba pageant, reached the top five, and watched someone else receive the crown.
On August 20, 2026, she was crowned Miss Universe Cuba 2026, moving forward to represent the nation at the international competition in Puerto Rico in November.
Her victory marks the third consecutive year of Cuba’s celebrated return to Miss Universe following a 57-year hiatus. Cuba’s last official pageant competitor, Elina Salabarría, competed in 1967. Between then and 2024, no official Cuban delegation existed at Miss Universe.
Cuba’s long absence from the pageant stage has well-documented historical roots. Following political changes, the island’s government discontinued participation in international pageants. The return reflects both shifts in pageant eligibility rules and the organizing efforts of the Miami-based committee. In 2024, the Miss Universe Cuba organization under National Director Prince Julio César relaunched the delegation, ending the 57-year silence. Lina Luaces represented Cuba in 2025.
Dio’s 2025 participation came just months after the program restarted. She represented Isla de la Juventud, one of Cuba’s historic regions. Reaching the top five in year two was substantial. Her 2026 return saw her compete against 18 other finalists at the final stage.
She holds degrees in International Relations and Political Science from Florida International University. She directs Cuerpos Conscientes, an educational initiative focused on women’s health and wellness, with particular emphasis on reproductive health education and access to resources.
She’ll now represent Cuba at the international Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico. That same stage will host competitors from countries that have maintained continuous participation for decades. Cuba’s delegation, rebuilt three years ago, joins that international stage.
The diaspora context is relevant here. The Miss Universe Cuba organization represents diaspora identity—Cubans living outside Cuba who maintain connection to cultural heritage. The pageant participation is organized through the Miami-based committee.
