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Lorena Suárez, candidate for Miss Universe Cuba 2026, broke her silence this Friday with a series of Instagram stories to denounce the wave of attacks she has received on social media amid a clash between her supporters and those of Daniela Reyes, the other major favorite in the contest.
The Cuban model, with prior international experience at Miss Intercontinental 2025, stated that she had never experienced anything like this before, despite having represented Cuba in two international competitions. "I have competed internationally twice representing Cuba, and I have never felt such hatred as I do now," she wrote in one of her posts.
What hurts the most, in her own words, is the source of those attacks. "What hurts the most is that it comes from my own community and also from people within the pageant world who at some point motivated me to compete," said the 23-year-old woman.
Suárez also questioned the dynamic that has emerged between the fandoms of both candidates, rejecting the use of one woman to attack another. “I understand that everyone has their favorite, but I don’t understand the need to put one woman down to lift up another. We are all Cuban women pursuing a dream, working hard and giving our best. We are human. We have feelings,” she wrote.
In a third story, the candidate went further and directly asked her own supporters to refrain from aggressive responses. "I sincerely ask my fans not to respond with hate, even when they see negative comments about me. I don't want my name to be used to attack anyone or to continue fueling something that's hurting us all," she expressed.
The online confrontation between the supporters of both candidates has escalated to levels that Suárez herself described as out of control. Daniela Reyes, a Cuban influencer and YouTuber who confirmed her candidacy on May 29, is leading the ranking of favorites for Miss Universe Cuba 2026 by a wide margin, with 16,600 interactions compared to Suárez's 1,200, who holds the fourth position.
Despite the hostile climate, Lorena Suárez made it clear that she has no intention of leaving the competition. In another of her stories, accompanied by a picture of herself on the pageant stage wearing a blue beaded dress with the Cuban flag in the background, she wrote: “I’m here. I’m going for my dreams and nothing and no one will stop me. I am Cuban, and if there’s one thing that defines us, it’s that this doesn’t end until the very last moment.”
The contest Miss Universe Cuba 2026 brings together 20 candidates selected from over 100 applicants during in-person auditions held in Miami in April. The previous edition also sparked significant controversy when the Cuban state media attacked the winner Lina Luaces, daughter of Lili Estefan, falsely arguing that she was not born in Cuba.
The final is scheduled for August 12 in Miami, and the winner will represent Cuba in Miss Universe 2026, set to take place in November in Puerto Rico.
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