On 20 September 2018 , Ortega began her pageantry career representing Rincón in the Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2018 competition at Luis A. Ferré Fine Arts Center in San Juan , where she was crowned as Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2018 . She succeeded outgoing Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2017 Danna Hernández . Ortega is also the third woman with noticeably mixed ( African and Indigenous ) features to win Miss Universe Puerto Rico after Alba Reyes in 2004 and Zuleyka Rivera in 2006 . Ortega represented Puerto Rico at Miss Universe 2018 pageant in Bangkok , Thailand , finishing in the Top 5 , effectively ending a 4-year drought for Puerto Rico and giving the Island its first Top 5 placement since 2009 when Mayra Matos finished as 4th Runner-Up
Miss Universe 2018
Miss Universe 2018
Kiara Ortega