Lili Estefan pushes back after Cuban press questions her daughter’s Miss Cuba win
Univision personality Lili Estefan took a moment on her show “El Gordo y La Flaca” to respond to the attacks from the official Cuban press against her daughter, Lina Luaces, the winner of Miss Universe Cuba 2025.
In an opinion piece titled “Who Defines 'Being Cuba' in Miss Universe?,” the state-run outlet Cubadebate questioned Luaces’ legitimacy as a candidate to represent Cuba considering she’d never been to the island and wasn’t a fluent Spanish speaker. It further questioned if it was fair for someone unfamiliar with the daily life in a country to represent it on the world’s stage. The op-ed also called Miss Universe "an industry that profits from show, entertainment and beauty from a superficial viewpoint" that "objectifies" women.
On her show, Estefan and co-host, Raul de Molina, pointed out that six decades ago Cuba stopped participating in beauty pageants, which prevented generations of young women from the island from competing on the international stage.
Estefan highlighted the damage caused by Fidel Castro’s decision —which Miguel Díaz-Canel’s government has not reversed— and its impact on young Cuban women who want to participate in beauty contests.
"They have directly interfered with girls’ dreams” by not allowing them to participate in Miss Universe, Estefan said Friday on the show.
"When the Miss Universe organization decided to create a Miss Universe Cuba in exile, to give these girls, who have never had the opportunity to represent their country, the chance to do so —even if it's their parents’ country, as those are the Miss Universe requirements—they also face strong criticism,” Estefan said. In March 2024, the Miss Universe organization granted Venezuelan designer and beauty pageant expert Prince Julio César the rights to Miss Universe Cuba.
Luaces, a 22-year-old model and influencer born in Miami, was chosen on July 8 in Hialeah to compete in Miss Universe in Thailand as Miss Universe Cuba.
Estefan, who hadn’t commented earlier because she was away, said that what matters is that Cuban women “have found something that can represent today’s woman, the working woman, the empowered woman who dreams and wants to be part of this great organization.”
“Lina is representing her parents’ country, a country that does not give women opportunities,” said Estefan, pointing out that the article didn’t mention that Cuba is in the midst of one of the worst economic crises in its history and that women on the island are some of the most affected.
Estefan acknowledged the controversy her daughter’s win caused, with critics pointing out Luaces’ Spanish language skills and her family’s influence. Luaces represented Santiago de Cuba at the Miss Universe Cuba pageant, the city where her mother and uncle, music producer and entrepreneur Emilio Estefan, were born.
“I think, obviously, we all know, because we have all lived it publicly, the controversy caused by Lina, my daughter, who was born here in the United States, going out to represent Cuba this year,” Estefan said.
But Luaces herself had already addressed the criticism.
"I know everyone will have their opinion, but I believe in myself," Luaces said the night she was crowned Miss Universe Cuba, pointing out how that she did the work of preparing for the pageant, mentally and physically, on her own.
“I can’t control where I come from, but I can control what I’m going to do with it,” Luaces said to critics.
While the debate about whether she is the ideal person to represent Cuban women continues, Luaces has been busy. She has been seen attending events like the premiere of the film “Freakier Friday” in Miami, and was chosen among People en Español’s 50 most beautiful people.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 12:52 PM.
