Cuban Marianela Ancheta sent a message to her followers after entering the top 30 of the Miss Universe 2024 competition.
"My Cuba! We didn’t win, but we made history! This is just the beginning of everything we are going to achieve!" he said on his Instagram account.
"I love you all! Thank you for so much!" she added, alongside a photo with Emilio Estefan, one of the judges.
Marianela's participation in the 73rd edition of Miss Universe marked Cuba's return to the competition after 57 years of absence.
The young woman from Villa Clara reached the semifinals due to her beauty, poise, and intelligence, but was unable to progress any further.
The winner was the representative from Denmark, a 21-year-old young woman with a degree in Business and Marketing, who stood out for her beauty, charisma, and elegance.
Marianela sent a message to the winner. "Congratulations, queen!" she wrote on her social media.
In the latest runway show, the Cuban model walked wearing a dress inspired by Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, accompanied by a very special amulet: a coin featuring the singer Celia Cruz.
Despite not winning, for her, it is a dream come true to have represented her country on the Miss Universe stage.
"It is the result of discipline, sacrifices, tears, many sleepless nights, days of anxiety, and tireless effort. I am here not just as Marianela, but as a reflection of the strength and passion of every Cuban who never stops dreaming," she expressed in an emotional post on Instagram.
Born in Villa Clara 31 years ago, she arrived in the United States at the age of 13 with her mother, after both crossed the border with Mexico.
"We worked in a bank cleaning the floors, the restrooms, taking out the trash, and those were tough times we went through together, but because of that, I appreciate many things today," she expressed.
Last October, she confessed that she comes from a very humble family and that her inner child can't believe what she is experiencing.
"I was 19 years old and spent the nights of December 24 and 31 cleaning the bathrooms at a Walgreens. It was very sad, but look at this change," she said then.
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