"Miss Nicaragua Pageant Director Arrested for Orchestrating 'Beauty Queen Coup' Scheme"
The director of the Miss Nicaragua pageant, Karen Celebertti, is wanted for arrest by Nicaraguan police on charges of rigging contests to ensure that anti-government beauty queens would win, as part of a plot to overthrow the government. The charges stem from the participation of Miss Nicaragua, Sheynnis Palacios, in the 2018 anti-government protests. The government of President Daniel Ortega, who claimed the protests were a coup attempt, was initially pleased with Palacios' win at the Miss Universe competition but turned sour when her involvement in the protests was revealed. The government has cracked down on opposition groups and individuals, closing universities and arresting and expelling opponents. Celebertti's son and husband have reportedly been taken into custody, while she remains at large.
