{
  "id": 11871830,
  "title": "Kayaking, salsa and spicy mango: Miss Universe Kaziah Liz Mejo's plans for Puerto Rico",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/kayaking-salsa-and-spicy-mango-miss-universe-kaziah-liz-mejos-plans",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-04T07:10:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/kayaking-salsa-and-spicy-mango-miss-universe-kaziah-liz-mejos-plans-for-puerto-rico-1.500697698"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Miss Universe India candidate Kaziah Liz Mejo has outlined her plans to immerse herself in Puerto Rican culture during her upcoming trip to the island for the Miss Universe 2026 competition. The 19-year-old, who was raised in Abu Dhabi, expressed her excitement to experience Puerto Rico's unique culture, food, and music firsthand.\n\nKaziah highlighted her desire to explore Puerto Rico's natural wonders, particularly the bioluminescent bays, which she plans to visit through kayaking. She also expressed her anticipation of savoring Puerto Rico's spicy mango, describing it as bold, tropical, and vibrant. The Indian beauty queen sees salsa as the musical genre that resonates with her personality, as it mirrors the expressive and energetic nature of Puerto Rican salsa dancing.\n\nMoreover, Kaziah emphasized the importance of cultural pride in her interactions with Puerto Ricans. She noted the shared instinct among both Indians and Puerto Ricans to carry their respective cultures wherever they go. Kaziah concluded her plans by emphasizing the significance of sharing Puerto Rico's rich culture with others, rather than simply consuming it, as her Indian heritage teaches her to embrace and share her own cultural values.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Miss Universe India Kaziah Liz Mejo has a plan for Puerto Rico, and it involves glowing water, spicy mango and a lot of salsa. The Abu Dhabi-raised 19-year-old shared a video ahead of Miss Universe 2026 about how she hopes to experience the host island's culture, food and music. \"I am coming to Puerto Rico with an open mind, a curious heart, and probably way too much energy, but I know…",
  "key_points": [
    "Kaziah Liz Mejo, Miss Universe India candidate, plans Puerto Rican immersion",
    "Kayaking bioluminescent bays, salsa dancing, and spicy mango on agenda",
    "Cultural pride emphasized over cultural consumption"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}