The night of this Thursday, the curtains of Miss Universe Cuba 2026 revealed their final card: Mia Dio, representative of Isla de la Juventud, claimed the crown and became the new Cuban queen heading to the international pageant.
More than a surprise, the result ultimately confirmed one of the candidates who had been among the favorites for a good portion of the competition.
The organization celebrated its victory on Instagram with a message focused precisely on its return to the competition: "Second chances do exist, and it’s never too late to fight for a dream again."
The crown was placed by Lina Luaces, Miss Universe Cuba 2025, who thus concluded her year of reign and handed over the title to the representative of Isla de la Juventud on the stage of the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay, south of Miami.
For Mia Dio, whose full name is Mia Angelina Donadio Cancio, victory holds a special meaning.
The young woman had already competed in Miss Universe Cuba 2025, also representing Isla de la Juventud, and reached the Top 5 of that edition, in addition to receiving the Miss Popularity award.
Her participation last year was marked by a facial paralysis she suffered shortly before the final gala. Nonetheless, she managed to advance among the top five.
In 2026, she decided to audition again and seek a crown she finally secured this Thursday. From the early months of the competition, Mia was among the candidates with the strongest public support.
In June, she held the second position in a favorites ranking based on social media interactions, placing her among the names with the highest chances of reaching the final since then.
Mia Dio reached the final alongside 18 candidates representing provinces and regions of Cuba. The process began in April with over 100 applicants and was narrowed down to the 19 contestants who participated in the final stretch.
With the crown, Mia Dio now has the responsibility of representing Cuba at Miss Universe 2026, which will be held in November in Puerto Rico.
The gala also had a strong component related to Cuba. During the round in which the finalists expressed their wishes, most included among their aspirations the desire to see a free nation, an idea that was repeated several times on stage.
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