Isabella Garcia-Manzo is the 2023 Miss Universe El Salvador, and she will represent her country at the 72nd Miss Universe pageant that will take place on November 18 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Since El Salvador will be the host country for the international beauty competition, all eyes were on Sunday’s contest. Miss San Salvador Garcia-Manzo shocked the nation by winning the crown.
For weeks, experts had their focus on Fátima Cuéllar as the huge favorite. The 25-year-old even had the best answer in the final round. However, that was not enough to win.
On Sunday, 14 ladies competed, and Garcia-Manzo, 20, got the best of all the others. The country’s 14 departments were represented, and all of the candidates gave their fans reasons to root for them.
As for the entertainment part, Venezuelan singer-songwriter Lasso brought the house down by covering some of his biggest hits. Co-hosts Luciana Sandoval and Henry Urbina kept things moving in a smooth way.
The judging panel was quite eclectic, with some interesting names. The members of the jury were Miss Dominican Republic 2022 Andreína Martínez, Ambassador of El Salvador to the United States Milena Mayorga, a former beauty queen and model; Colombian designer Gustavo Arango, Evelyn Guerra de Peña, a businesswoman, and Pablo Machado, a designer with an international reach.
Garcia-Manzo finished the night with $10,000, and Cuéllar received $5,000. The second runner-up-Mariana Quintanilla, Miss La Libertad, goes home with $3,000.
For many observers, Fátima Cuéllar, a consummate professional, put on the best performance from start to finish. However, the soul of Isabella Garcia-Manzo was able to carry her through the finish line.
One thing is clear: all the ladies made their country proud, including Miss Universe El Salvador 2022, Alejandra Guajardo, who turned the page on a very memorable year.
The road ahead is not an easy one for Garcia-Manzo who has to deal with a lot of criticism from people who wanted or expected Cuéllar to win. As soon as the winner was revealed, social media lit up with people opining on the winner.
In the sea of critics, one person tried to hit the right note. They write, “I am not criticizing your physique, because no woman deserves to be judged by how she looks. I think the trouble is that the favorite was simply Fátima Cuéllar, I include myself in that favoritism. I listened to your responses and recognized your potential; however, I still prefer Fatima because there are more aspects to consider. Furthermore, I’m sorry for the harassment you are receiving, and I hope you show that your crown is well deserved and change our minds.
Success and give your best always ❤️.”
A tough comment reads: “You do not represent us as a country, but you did not even win the crown on stage; it is a shame that you say that you are Miss El Salvador.”
Some even go as far as to wonder if Garcia-Manzo is Salvadoran enough because she is currently studying hospitality in Marbella, Spain.
However, backers say that she has enough strength within to prove the naysayers wrong. They believe she will be able to turn things around in the coming months.
Her country hopes to make a big impression on the rest of the world later this year.
