Sin categoría
Cuban woman says Maradona abused and raped her
AFP
A 37-year-old Cuban woman, who had an affair with Diego Maradona as a minor 20 years ago, accused the late Argentine idol and his entourage on Monday of violence and abuse, including rape and holding her against her will.
Mavys Alvarez Rego, who now lives in Miami, told the press in Buenos Aires how she met Maradona at 16, when the star, then in his forties, lived in Cuba, where he was undergoing drug treatment.
“I was dazzled, he won me over… But after two months everything started to change”, she said, claiming that Maradona, who died from a heart attack a year ago at the age of 60, had pushed her into trying cocaine, in turn making her dependent.
“I loved him but I hated him too, I even thought about suicide,” she said.
Maradona is widely considered to be one of the greatest footballers in history and inspired Argentina to the 1986 World Cup.
He died last year after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot, and after decades of battles with cocaine and alcohol addictions.
Alvarez Rego, a mother of two children aged 15 and four, said her relationship with Maradona lasted “between four and five years” but that she was subjected to abuse.
She claimed that during a trip to Buenos Aires with Maradona in 2001, she had been held against her will for several weeks in a hotel by Maradona’s entourage, banned from going out alone, and forced into a breast augmentation operation.
She also claimed that Maradona had “raped” her on one occasion at their home in Havana and mentioned several other episodes of physical violence.
Alvarez Rego has not filed a complaint herself but is giving evidence this week in Buenos Aires to an Argentine prosecutor in connection with a complaint brought by an Argentine NGO.
The organization, called “Foundation for Peace,” filed the complaint after seeing her confessions in the American media in recent weeks.
The complaint relates in particular to human trafficking, deprivation of liberty, forced servitude, assault and battery.
Alvarez Rego said she was speaking out after so many years of silence in order to balance some of the stories that were being told in a TV series about Maradona in the run-up to the first anniversary of his death on November 25.
She suggested that she would not be initiating further proceedings.
“I have done what I had to do, the rest I leave to the courts,” she said.
“I achieved my goal: to say what happened to me, to prevent it from happening to others, or at least so that other girls feel the strength, the courage to speak up.”
Five members of Maradona’s entourage who have been implicated have all denied the allegations via their lawyers. One has filed a counter-complaint against the NGO for slander.
Sin categoría
Energy chief says U.S. will restore Gulf oil shipments and refill strategic reserves
The United States is making progress in restoring oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, with approximately 7 million barrels of oil and fuel now passing through the critical maritime route each day, according to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Speaking at the Bloomberg Energy Security Executive Briefing in Houston on Friday, Wright said the United States is committed to fully reopening the waterway, regardless of whether Iran cooperates with those efforts.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit corridors, experienced severe disruptions at the onset of the conflict with Iran. According to Wright, nearly 20 million barrels of oil per day were initially affected when traffic through the strait was largely halted.
While some shipments were redirected to alternative ports outside the Persian Gulf, roughly 14 million barrels per day remained stranded, creating what Wright described as a major disruption to global energy flows.
“That was a significant interruption of supply,” he said, emphasizing that the United States intends to restore normal shipping operations independently if necessary.
Industry analysts noted that the recovery of approximately 7 million barrels per day has exceeded many market expectations. Dan Pickering, chief investment officer at Pickering Energy Partners, said the faster-than-expected return of supply has helped explain why oil prices have remained lower than some analysts had predicted.
Wright also reiterated his goal of rebuilding the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has been used in recent years to help cushion the impact of supply disruptions linked to geopolitical conflicts and market volatility.
In addition, the Energy Secretary dismissed the possibility of imposing restrictions on U.S. energy exports, arguing that maintaining open markets remains essential for both domestic energy security and global supply stability.
The comments underscore Washington’s determination to restore confidence in international energy markets and ensure the uninterrupted flow of oil through one of the world’s most strategically important shipping lanes.
Sin categoría
Trump renews criticism of Pope Leo XIV amid tensions over Iran
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday night, urging that “someone tell him” that Iran has “killed at least 42,000 innocent protesters” and insisting that it is “unacceptable” for the country to possess nuclear weapons.
“Can someone please inform Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 completely unarmed, innocent protesters over the past two months, and that it is absolutely unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear bomb?” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
The statement comes amid an escalating public dispute between Trump and the pontiff over the conflict in Iran and the broader Middle East. The US president concluded his message with the phrase “AMERICA IS BACK.”
Pope Leo XIV, who was born in the United States, has repeatedly spoken out—both directly and indirectly—against Washington’s stance toward Tehran, while calling for peace in the region.
On Monday, Trump openly criticized the pope, describing him as “weak” and “terrible on foreign policy.”
Speaking aboard a flight to Algeria, the first stop of his trip to Africa, the pontiff said he was “not afraid” of the Trump administration and would continue to raise his voice against the ongoing conflict.
Sin categoría
Tehran engulfed in toxic cloud after strikes on fuel facilities
Tehran woke up under a sky that shifted from gray to black following strikes on fuel infrastructure, as the city has become engulfed in a toxic cloud that is turning daily life into a public health and environmental emergency.
Residents warn that what is falling from the sky is no longer just rain, but a mixture of oil and pollutants. Attacks on fuel depots have triggered prolonged fires, releasing thick plumes of smoke that continue to spread across the العاصمة.
For several days, facilities have remained ablaze, while a dark layer has settled over streets, homes, and even water reserves. Authorities have urged the population—more than nine million people—to remain indoors, especially vulnerable groups.
The extreme toxicity is linked to mazut, a dense petroleum byproduct with high sulfur content still used in Iran due to industrial limitations and sanctions. When burned, it releases hazardous particles that, when combined with moisture, result in contaminated rainfall.
The situation is worsened by Tehran’s geography. Surrounded by mountains, the city is affected by a temperature inversion phenomenon that traps pollutants near the ground, preventing their dispersion and creating a stagnant layer of toxic air over the population.
Residents have reported symptoms such as eye and skin irritation, headaches, and respiratory difficulties. Emergency agencies have also warned of potential chemical burns caused by acid rain.
Long-term concerns are mounting, as prolonged exposure to fine particles and heavy metals could lead to serious health conditions, including lung damage and cancer.
Contamination is also spreading to water sources and agricultural land, threatening the food supply in a country already facing water scarcity.
At a regional level, the environmental impact is expanding, with oil spills reported in the Persian Gulf, affecting marine ecosystems and fishing communities.
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