Cristel Jiménez, a girl from the Cerro Coco community in the Ngäbe-Buglé region, stands out for her simplicity. She has skills and talent. All of her qualities made her the winner of Miss Indigenous of Panama 2024.

The fifth-year student studying Banking and Finance at the Autonomous University of Chiriquí is preparing to highlight the culture of her ancestors. She will represent the country in the Abya Yala Indigenous Beauty Pageant that will be held in Panama from September 5 to 7, in La Manzana, Casco Antiguo, Panama City.

Indigenous people from countries such as Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and others will participate in this activity. Activist Bartolina Sisa is her inspiration for this pageant, the miss said during an interview with La Estrella de Panamá .

Indigenous Lady of Panama, added Jimenez, seeks to highlight the roots and worldview of the different ethnic groups of our country. “I have been given the opportunity, although it was not in my plans, I feel very happy and grateful to God for this time (…) It is a great honor to carry the band of the Ngäbe-Bugle region.”

He is currently preparing to master oratory, studying the different indigenous peoples of Panama, such as the native languages ​​​​of each one. “I plan to highlight the dances of our people, since each of them is a different story of struggle.”

Jiménez faces quite a big challenge, since he represents the groups that conserve “80% of biodiversity found in indigenous territory. This is a reality show that we are guardians of our natural resources and respect our animals. “We do not allow exploitation of land, since this also harms human rights.”

Courage, perseverance, intelligence, responsibility and love for her culture are the qualities that Cristel Jiménez believes will give her the merit to be the recipient of the crown of the Abya Yala Indigenous Beauty Pageant.

Cristel Jimenez was chosen to represent Panama for her qualities, talent, charisma and humility that she reflects, highlighted Anselmo Urrutia García, creator and director of Indigenous Beauties of Panama.

García explained that the initiative was born in 2010, through a futsal tournament, in which the girls were cheerleaders. Because young women wanted to do different activities, modeling was promoted, thus forming Gunas Models.

“In 2013, the first contest was held at that time, the title was Miss Gunas Models, only Gunas girls participated. This format has improved over the years, since girls from other indigenous peoples participated. By 2016, the idea of ​​holding a contest with indigenous girls from other countries was born. When girls from other indigenous peoples joined, the name was changed to Indigenous Beauties of Panama, an idea of ​​​​the students themselves and to this day it remains that way,” she commented to this medium.

During the development of Indigenous Beauties of Panama, according to Urrutia, there has been little opportunity for young women to participate in other types of pageants due to the economic aspect. “In view of this situation I said to myself: why don’t we create our own space, under our own criteria. The National Contest for indigenous girls was then born, with the purpose of highlighting our indigenous cultures, making known an empowered young woman, with talent and beauty in the indigenous style, this was also thanks to the advice of the indigenous peoples office of the University from Panama”.

“The truth is that since 2010 when this began, what is reflected now was the dream of that time. There have been many challenges, starting with resistance, someone else would have already abandoned this project, but I am here firmly because I believe in its vision.”

Another important challenge for Indigenous Beauties of Panama is the economic part, because like any event or pageant it has its costs and as the years go by their costs increase and getting sponsors is the most difficult thing to obtain, especially when it is the pageant. international as it entails even greater expense, Urrutia noted.

According to the founder, one of the fundamental bases of this initiative is to maintain the interest of young women in the project and during all these years it has been possible to maintain it thanks to the fact that mothers and young women have found a space in which girls can show all their talent and empower themselves.

The contest is cultural, it innovates with fashion, modeling, “and we want the public to catch the attention, so they can attend and learn about our events. A key basis is that the participants know that the main thing is our identity (…) more than a catwalk, it is an encounter with our roots,” she concluded.