(VIDEO) Mia Dio Crowned Miss Universe Cuba 2026, One Year After Competing Through Facial Paralysis Ordeal

MIAMI — Mia Dio was crowned Miss Universe Cuba 2026 on Thursday night, capping a comeback story built on a facial paralysis diagnosis, a viral red-carpet prank and a second attempt at the title after falling short the year before.

The 25-year-old, whose full name is Mia Angelina Donadio Cancio, won the crown during the pageant’s final gala at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay, Florida, prevailing over a field of 19 finalists that had been narrowed down from more than 100 applicants. She succeeds Lina Luaces, who placed the crown on Dio’s head to close out her own reign, and will represent Cuba at the 75th Miss Universe competition, scheduled for Nov. 24 at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dio, who represented Isla de la Juventud in the competition, previously competed for the Miss Universe Cuba title in 2025, reaching the Top 5 and winning Miss Popularity despite suffering facial paralysis just days before that year’s final gala. She has said the paralysis resulted from a Botox injection she had received to treat temporomandibular joint disorder, a condition that had been causing her jaw pain and migraines, according to the outlet Latin Times.

In an interview with HOLA! Americas following her win, Dio described the emotional weight of the moment. “A lot of people didn’t think I would make it to the top. They didn’t see me as the winner, but in my heart, I felt like this was my year,” she said. Reflecting on her decision to compete again after falling short in 2025, she added that she had to weigh which outcome scared her more: trying again, or living with the uncertainty of never knowing what might have happened had she not returned to the stage.

Dio’s path to this year’s crown included an unconventional beginning. According to reporting from Latin Times, she first drew public attention in February 2025 after slipping onto the magenta carpet at the Premio Lo Nuestro awards in Miami and convincing photographers and other attendees that she was a celebrity, a stunt captured on video that went viral and eventually helped build the following that carried into her pageant career. She has since built a social media presence exceeding 5 million followers, according to reporting from CiberCuba, using that platform to discuss beauty, entertainment and, increasingly, Cuban political issues.

That advocacy featured prominently in Dio’s remarks following her win. She described her grandfather, Jose “Pepe” Cancio, as a veteran of Brigade 2506, the Cuban exile group that took part in the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, and said his cousin, Silvita Iriondo, was a member of the activist group Brothers to the Rescue and survived the group’s 1996 attacks. “When I think about my identity, I have never questioned my Cuban roots. I have never doubted that part of my purpose is to contribute, in whatever way I can, toward change,” Dio told HOLA! Americas.

Dio has continued that message publicly since her crowning. According to CiberCuba, she raised her hand to form the shape of an “L” while receiving the crown, later explaining on social media that the gesture stood for “Liberty” as a tribute to the Cuban people, and said she plans to invite audiences at the Miss Universe final in Puerto Rico to make the same gesture with her regardless of their nationality.

Miss Universe Cuba National Director Prince Julio Cesar, who has led the pageant’s organization for more than two decades, oversaw this year’s competition, which brought together members of the Cuban community, media figures and industry sponsors for the final gala, according to a report from Luxevarie.

Speaking about the broader field of contestants she competed against, Dio praised the camaraderie among the 19 finalists rather than framing the competition as adversarial. “I competed alongside 19 women, and that represents 19 shared dreams. I truly believe every one of them is deserving of a crown because they have all grown so much, and the competition was always respectful and fair,” she told HOLA! Americas, adding that contestants regularly helped one another backstage, including lending shoes and safety pins when needed.

Dio’s victory places her at the center of what CiberCuba described as a competition she had been considered among the frontrunners for throughout much of this year’s process, having held the second position in a June ranking of contestant popularity based on social media engagement. With the crown secured, she said her focus now shifts to preparing for the international stage in Puerto Rico, where she will aim to build on the legacy of predecessors including Luaces and 2024 titleholder Marianela Ancheta as Cuba’s representative at this year’s Miss Universe competition.