International

The man who imitated Pelicot admits to having drugged and raped his wife

Jean-Pierre Maréchal, the man who sits on the bench in Avignon for having raped his wife and done it with Dominique Pelicot, whom he imitated in the procedure of subjecting her to a chemical submission, recognizes his full responsibility in the facts.

His lawyer, Patrick Gontard, insisted on Thursday that Maréchal has not tried to evade his responsibility, as shown by the fact that since he was arrested in 2020 he said that he “deserved the maximum, life imprisonment,” despite the fact that the crime of aggravated rape for which he is accused has a maximum penalty of 20 years.

In statements to the press before the hearing in the Criminal Court of Vaucluse (southeast of France), Gontard insisted on the role of “catalyst” that Dominique Pelicot had so that Maréchal, following his instructions, drugged his wife with anxiolytics so that, once in a state of unconsciousness, both men raped her.

The lawyer pointed out that Pelicot, with whom he had established contact through an online messaging and who proposed to resorting to chemical submission as he had been doing for years with his own wife, was for him like “a dynamite cartridge that blew everything up.”

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According to his story, he provided her with the medicines and recommended the dosage to administer them with the aim that her partner would lose consciousness and they could abuse her.

The wife maintains the relationship

The lawyer has also pointed out that Pelicot was seven or eight times at his client’s house and the violations were carried out on three of those occasions.

In one of those visits, the woman woke up unexpectedly and surprised the stranger next to her in her room.

The explanations that her husband gave her then, that she had brought him to see her in underwear, did not convince her.

Despite everything, she did not report it even when the case was uncovered, in September 2020.

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In her statement this Wednesday before the court, the one who is still Maréchal’s wife explained that she did not denounce him for her children, who have seen their lives upset by these events, and because during their common life he had been “a wonderful man.”

He also acknowledged that he wanted to maintain contact with him, with whom he communicates through his children, and that he even requested to be able to see him in prison so that he would tell him “to his face” what he had done to him.

The psychological exam of the accused

Along with Maréchal and Pelicot, there are 49 others prosecuted in this process for having raped the latter’s wife when she was under the effects of anxiolytics.

Gontard indirectly criticized the defense strategy of most of them, those who deny having known that Gisèle Pelicot was unconscious, by recalling that in French criminal law there is rape from the moment consent is not given to have a sexual relationship.

The lawyer admitted that the relationship with Pelicot was not the only trigger for his client’s criminal behavior, and alluded to several other elements of his life and psychology that could intervene, such as the fact that “he had almost no sex life with his wife” and was “very interested in sex” and to be born into a family marked by the sexual abuse of a violent father.

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This and other issues were addressed this Thursday at the hearing by the expert Annabelle Montagne, appointed by the justice for the psychological examination of Maréchal and other defendants.

The big unknown is whether the process will be able to continue next week, due to Pelicot’s absence since Tuesday due to illness. At the outset, there are many chances that Friday’s session will be suspended.

This situation has tensed the atmosphere between lawyers who, such as Pelicot and Maréchal’s, opt for a suspension.

The president of the Court, who has so far tried to maintain the program, has acknowledged today that if the main defendant could not appear from Monday it would be “a catastrophe.”

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International

UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions

The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.

Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.

The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.

“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.

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While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.

To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.

Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.

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International

Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela

Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.

In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.

For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.

“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.