International
Maradona’s house arrest is again a focus of tension in the trial for his death
The decision for Diego Armando Maradona to recover from his last operation in a home hospitalization was today the focus of a new hearing of the trial for his death, in which a revealing recording was known where one of the accused doctors urged another to modify the historic clinic of the former footballer so as not to be legally responsible for the decision of home hospitalization.
Tuesday’s hearing had the testimony of psychiatrist Ana Marcela Waisman Campos, who was in contact with Maradona’s medical team during his hospitalization at the Olivos Clinic, located on the outskirts of the city of Buenos Aires.
In that clinic, the Argentine idol was operated on on November 3, 2020 for a subdural hematoma on his head, and remained there until the 11th of the same month, when he was transferred to a home in Tigre (province of Buenos Aires) to travel there for the rest of his recovery.
Waisman Campos stated that he visited the star in the clinic but that he refused to be treated by her.
The doctor also referred to her contacts with Maradona’s psychiatrist, Agustina Cosachov, and said that she was in contact with her during those days and that they discussed the case of the former soccer player.
During the hearing, in addition to making known conversations between the two on medical issues, an audio sent on November 10 by Cosachov to Maradona’s family doctor, Leopoldo Luque, was reproduced, in which she mentioned a recommendation by Waisman Campos to eliminate from the former footballer’s medical record the participation of both in the decision of home admission.
“This psychiatrist threw me some tips that I think are good regarding something that we have to put in the medical history before Diego leaves, that you can write because they put a lot of ‘family doctor, family doctor’ to be legally protected,” begins the recording, in which Cosachov is also heard warning Luque that the clinical history of the Olivos Clinic indicated that the decision of home hospitalization had been made jointly between the doctors and the family.
“So, she suggested to me, and the truth is that I respect her position very much in this, that legally it suited us, which is actually true, to make a last evaluation saying that the family, let’s say, in the face of the different therapeutic options, is the one who, understanding and understanding the risks of the options, agree and opt for home hospitalization, because legally we are more covered,” Cosachov adds in the recording.
The question of who chose to have Maradona recover in a home instead of in a clinic is one of the keys to the trial for his death.
The information provided by the witnesses who have testified so far indicates that, while the former footballer was recovering in the clinic, a meeting was held between relatives, doctors from the clinic, from the prepaid medicine company Swiss Medical and Luque and Cosachov in which two alternatives were considered: continue with the treatment in a rehabilitation clinic or do it in a home under the modality of home hospitalization.
Given Maradona’s pre-existing pathologies, the complaint states that the home hospitalization that was finally opted for was “a way to sentence him to death.”
Two of Maradona’s daughters, as well as their ex-partner Verónica Ojeda, declared in recent weeks that Luque was very clear in his recommendation that the former footballer recover in a house and flatly ruled out the option of admitting him – willfully or by force – to a clinic.
“We discussed the 3 options, it didn’t seem so bad because they promised us the same thing (in home hospitalization) as at the Olivos Clinic, and it never happened. They deceived us in the cruelest way,” said Dalma Maradona, one of the idol’s daughters, last Tuesday, who assured that the conditions of the house where their father was admitted did not fit what they had promised them.
On the housing conditions and the medical treatment that Maradona received there, two Swiss Medical workers told on Tuesday, who disconnected the prepaid medicine company from the failures in the care of the former footballer.
In addition to Luque, Cosachov, the doctor and coordinator of the Swiss Medical company, Nancy Forlini, the psychologist Carlos Díaz, the doctor Pedro Di Spagna, the coordinator of nurses Mariano Perroni and the nurse Ricardo Almirón are tried in this process.
Nurse Gisela Madrid is also on trial but will face a jury trial, as requested.
In this process, judges Maximiliano Savarino, Verónica Di Tommaso and Julieta Makintach must determine whether seven of the eight defendants are guilty of the crime of simple homicide with eventual malice, which has a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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