Miss Universe: Latina Contestants Unite ... Screw Miss Philippines!!!

Miss Universe now has a raging war on its hands ... between Latina contestants and Miss Philippines.

Sources who were backstage at Sunday's pageant tell TMZ, after Steve Harvey throned and quickly de-throned Miss Colombia ... Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Costa Rica, Miss Mexico and other Latina contestants swarmed Miss Colombia to console her.

The women were NOT blaming Steve Harvey, whom they said was gracious. They were squarely and tearfully blaming Miss Philippines for the embarrassment, although no one could coherently explain why the snafu was her fault.

Some of the Latina contestants were grousing backstage ... Miss Philippines did not deserve the crown. We're told most of them snubbed the winner, not congratulating her on the victory.

We're told there has been a fierce competition between Colombia and the Philippines in the pageant's history, and it certainly reared its head Sunday night.

Shanna Moakler, a former Miss USA and pageant honcho, told us on "TMZ Live" Monday the competition between Colombia and the Philippines is extremely fierce.