Miss Universe Equatorial Guinea 2025, Carmen Ismelda Avomo Obama, went from being overlooked to going viral after making one simple request — in Spanish.
Before the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand, few noticed her. No one commented on her outfits or her walk, even to criticize her. But when she reached out to the Spanish-speaking community and asked Latin American beauty pageant influencers for support, she built an unexpected bridge between Africa and Latin America — and gained thousands of followers overnight.
“There are no pageant experts from Equatorial Guinea. There are Venezuelan, Mexican ones, but none from Equatorial Guinea. That is a problem,” Obama said during a live on Instagram and TikTok, reminding viewers that she speaks Spanish and needs their support.
Equatorial Guinea, which was a Spanish colony until 1968, is the only African country where Spanish is an official language.
Obama, who also speaks English, made the right move. Almost overnight, Latin American pageant bloggers and fans rallied behind her, filling her feeds with support. Once one of the least-followed contestants, she now boasts more than 108,000 followers — and counting.
“Mexico is with you! From the land of mariachi, color and passion, we send you all our affection and admiration,” a follower wrote under one of Obama’s photos.
Fans praised Obama, who wears her hair natural, for her beauty and elegance. “You have beautiful eyes. I send you all my support and affection from Venezuela,” wrote a fan named Mariana Fabiola Jiménez Soriano.
“She seems sweet and humble. All my support for her,” wrote another new follower, Gasnel Jossue.
“Support from Tabasco, Mexico… long live the Spanish language… language unites us as one nation,” wrote Santiago Orzoco de Martínez.
Other followers began calling her “the light of Africa,” dedicating poems to her in Spanish, and also highlighting Bolivian designer Franz Auza, who is handling Obama’s wardrobe.
Her fellow contestants began to show support as well.
“I love her so much,” wrote Miss Universe Ecuador 2025, Nadia Mejía. Born and raised in the United States, she prefers English, but her Ecuadorian heritage allows her to represent the country.
Obama’s journey—from winning Miss Mongomo to becoming Equatorial Guinea’s Miss Universe candidate—has emerged as one of the most inspiring stories of this 74th edition of the pageant in a year that has been mired in controversy.
During the November 3 sash ceremony, one of the high ranking officials of Miss Universe Asia, Thai businessman Nawat Itsaragrisil, berated Miss Universe Mexico, Fátima Bosch, in front of all the contestants, which resulted in Bosch and several other contestants walking out of the ceremony.
Perhaps unintentionally, Miss Universe Equatorial Guinea has managed to shift the focus to goodwill and solidarity. She has already begun to change the tone of this pageant, sharing her gratitude with affectionate fans.
“To all my Latinos, thank you for your strength, for your unity, for making me feel so proud of our roots. Every step I take is also for you, for our culture and for the sparkle we carry inside,” Obama said to her followers on social media.
The Miss Universe organization launched its official app, where the public can vote for their favorite contestant in various categories until Nov. 18 at 11:59 p.m. The winner of the People’s Choice category will automatically advance to the Top 30 of the grand final of Miss Universe 2025, which will be held on the stage of Impact Arena in Bangkok, with a capacity for about 12,000 spectators, on November 21.
Due to the time difference, the ceremony will be broadcast in the United States on November 20 at 7 p.m. on Telemundo and via the Peacock streaming service.
By SARAH MORENO/El Nuevo Herald
