Sheynnis Palacios, the first Nicaraguan to win the pageant, became a symbol of resistance. The authoritarian leadership soon came after people close to the competition.
Nicaragua’s government has begun confiscating the homes of former political prisoners and dissidents forced into exile, just as the country did in the 1980s.
The Biden administration’s new rules have brought down a record number of border crossings, but critics say they expose the pitfalls of policies intended to manage an immediate problem.