Cuban Woman Alleges "Raped by Maradona at Age 16, 20 Years Ago"

▲The late Diego Maradona [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] A woman has come forward claiming she was sexually assaulted by Argentina's football legend, the late Diego Maradona.

The woman stated that she was in a romantic relationship with Maradona 20 years ago, but was sexually assaulted by him before they officially dated.

According to AFP on the 22nd (local time), Mavis Alvarez (37), a Cuban, held a press conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, revealing that Maradona, then 40 years old, sexually assaulted her when she was 16 at a hospital in Havana, the capital of Cuba, in 2001.

At the time, Maradona was staying in Cuba for drug addiction treatment and got to know Alvarez.

Alvarez had previously claimed in interviews with Spanish-language media in the United States that she suffered various abuses from Maradona.

She alleged that after the sexual assault, when she traveled with Maradona to Buenos Aires, Argentina, she was forcibly confined in a hotel room for three months and was coerced into breast augmentation surgery during that period.

▲Mavis Alvarez (37), a Cuban woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by Maradona at the age of 16, 20 years ago

She added that Maradona pressured her to use cocaine to make her dependent on him and also subjected her to physical abuse.

However, Alvarez stated that after that, she was in a consensual romantic relationship with Maradona for several years.

Following these reports, the Argentine civic group 'Peace Foundation' filed a complaint regarding Alvarez's confinement and assault, and an investigation by authorities is underway.

Maradona himself passed away from a heart attack in November last year, and his then aides have been sued. The aides completely deny the allegations.

Alvarez also testified about the case in an Argentine court last week.

At the press conference, Alvarez testified about her relationship with Maradona, saying, "Maradona was close to Fidel Castro," and "If the Cuban government had not been involved, my family would never have accepted such a relationship." She added, "My family was also forced to accept that relationship."

Alvarez stated that the reason she raised these allegations was "to help all women, all female victims of crime."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.