Contestants for Miss Universe Cuba have been chosen. Meet some of the standouts
Miss Universe Cuba hosted a night of feathers, fantasy, queen sashes, camera flashes and fashion on Monday at the Miami Theater in Medley.
The public picked their favorites and the 20 contestants competing for the crown received the official sashes that identify beauty queens with regions and provinces of Cuba, which in many cases match their family’s place of origin or where they were born.
This year, for the first time, a sash was given that identifies a contestant with a South Florida city. Eneisy Rodríguez, a media professor, actress and dancer, carries the sash of Hialeah.
Prince Julio César, director of Miss Universe Cuba, said he decided to create this sash out of “respect” for the diaspora that immigrated to this country and found in Hialeah a home to live, start businesses and work in the United States.
“Hialeah is the city with the most Cubans, and I’m not the only one saying it—Google says it too,” the Venezuelan lawyer and designer told el Nuevo Herald. In 2024, he obtained the Miss Universe Cuba franchise, which allowed Cuban women to return to the world’s most important beauty pageant after 57 years of absence.
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“Hialeah has received the largest wave of immigration and is where the largest Cuban diaspora in exile rests,” Prince Julio César added, who also revealed the new venue for the Miss Universe Cuba final gala. After two years at Milander Park in Hialeah, the event is moving to southern Miami-Dade.
The gala will be held on Aug. 20 at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay where the queen who will represent Cubans at the global Miss Universe contest will be chosen; the international pageant will take place on November 20 at the Coliseo José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A fashion show for the Cuban queens
On the night of July 13 the Feather Fantasy fashion show also took place, where the contestants showed their creativity designing evening gowns that featured feathers as the main element and accessory.
They also selected the Top Model of the Year, which went to Yramsi Barcena, from the province of Mayabeque.
“Your elegance, discipline, runway presence and dedication made you deserving of this important award,” the Miss Universe Cuba organization said when congratulating Barcena on its Instagram profile.
The representative of La Habana, Lizlauren Mosquera, won “best feather look,” for which she received a $5,000 beauty treatment prize to be used after the competition at Rosabella Med Spa, one of Miss Universe Cuba’s sponsors.
Barcena received the same amount from La Belle Med in Doral, also a sponsor of the contest.
The jury in charge of choosing the best model and the best outfit of the night included Miguelángel García, official makeup artist of Miss Universe Cuba and stylist for the Miss Venezuela organization for 17 years; Leah Reyes Amores, Miss Teen Earth 2025; Prince Julio César; and stylist Justin Edward McKay.
Also on the panel was Lisbeth Fernández, first runner-up of Miss Universe Cuba 2025, who recently competed for the MissFloridaUSA title representing her Miami neighborhood of Pinecrest.
“A beautiful experience to see all these wonderful women create alongside a designer their own designs and walk them with confidence and projection on that runway,” Fernández said.
The most popular candidate of Miss Universe Cuba
Influencer Daniela Reyes, representing Pinar del Río, won the People’s Choice Awards by receiving the highest percentage of votes (18.5%) in the online vote.
“Today I broke the ice, gave my best, and felt all the love sent to me from every corner,” Reyes said on her social media to thank her followers.
Reyes studied Social Communication at the University of Havana. She became known on Cuban television programs “Piso 6” and “A otro con ese cuento.” She is a pioneer in Cuban YouTube and has one million followers on Instagram. Her popularity grew after having a relationship with reggaeton artist Yomil.
Upon being announced as a candidate for Miss Universe Cuba, Reyes shared a message for girls who have the same dream.
“I want every girl who sees me to remember that it is possible. We don’t need to have everything figured out or be experts to start,” she said. “We need determination, discipline and a clear vision of what we want to achieve.”
One of the strongest contenders who could challenge Reyes is Mia Donadio, who returns with the experience of participating last year in Miss Universe Cuba.
Donadio, who has deep roots in the community because she is the granddaughter of a local political figure, Pepe Cancio, earned second place among the most popular, with 17.9% of the votes.
Graduated in International Relations from Florida International University (FIU), Donadio Cancio has a strong presence as a creator on social media, where she has 1.3 million followers.
“I believe in second chances,” Donadio Cancio said when she was chosen as a candidate for 2026.
The rest of the top five most popular are Lizlauren Mosquera, Rachel Pereira, who wears the sash of Las Tunas, and Daniela Espinosa, who represents Ciego de Ávila.
A queen without a crown
Another candidate with many followers and well positioned to win Miss Universe Cuba is Lorena Suárez.
Suárez has extensive experience as a beauty queen and model. Last year she won the title of Miss Intercontinental Cuba, for which she was trained by Sergio Meso, director of Reinado Nacional de Belleza Cuba based in Miami. In the global Miss Intercontinental 2025 pageant she placed as first runner-up in January in Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt.
Suárez, who emigrated from Cuba at age 8, compared the black color of her feathered gown to the island.
“They say black represents the end of a path, but for me, it represents the place where light is born,” she said. “As a Cuban, I learned that even in the darkest moments you can keep hope. Each feather symbolizes a battle, each crystal a tear turned into strength. I don’t wear wings to escape my land; I wear wings because my land taught me to fly even when it seemed impossible.”
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