Nicaragua's Sheynnis Palacios made history when she won the Miss Universe 2023 beauty pageant, making her the first representative from Nicaragua to win the title.

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In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News, Palacios said the significance of the victory has not been lost to her.

"I just feel happy for my country. This is a victory for us, my people... In my country all the people go to the street and celebrate the moment with the flag," she said, adding that people were honking their car horns in celebration.

"It is history for my country. It gives us happiness, it gives us hope, it gave us a real victory," she added.

Palacios, who has been competing in pageants since she was a teenager, will be going to Mexico next and will be staying in New York and Thailand as part of her reign. She said she is particularly excited to go to Mexico for the first time after becoming best friends with her roommate, Miss Mexico Melissa Flores Godínez.

She also thanked her fellow delegates who kept encouraging her after she felt shaken by the victory.

"I am so grateful for this opportunity and grateful to the organization, to the judges for seeing something special in me and now to be Miss Universe," Palacios said.

Asked if she felt pressure after being a crowd-favorite in the pageant, she said: "Not really, I only enjoyed the experience to share it with the other delegates."