International

Bathing with elephants, the popular Thai tourist activity criticized by animal rights activists

The bathing with elephants offered by some centers is a controversial activity to attract tourists in Thailand, which some organizations denounce that it involves risks by stressing animals that weigh more than a ton and have a very high sensitivity.

After the Spanish Blanca Ojanguren, 22 years old, was fatally attacked last Friday by an elephant in a tourist center on the island of Yao Yai (southwest of the country), where she took a bath with her boyfriend, the warnings made by some organizations about the implications of this practice resonate.

The police are still investigating the event

The Yao Yai Police confirmed to EFE on Monday that it is still investigating what happened to the Spanish woman and “gathers evidence” to determine the precise cause of her death.

Following the event, the Spanish Cristina Palacio, co-director of the Kindred Spirit sanctuary, located in the Thai town of Chiang Mai – where bathing with pachyderms is not allowed – emphasizes that “the main problem is the captivity of wild animals.”

Palacio told EFE that tourists must be provided with “correct information” about the nature of elephants so that they can demand “different and respectful experiences.”

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

Maternal separation

For its part, World Animal Protection warns that the first step to getting an elephant to be bathed by strangers is to “separate the offspring from their mothers, keep them isolated, deprive them of food and water and, in many cases, beat them repeatedly until they can be controlled with fear.”

There is no evidence that this method, which the NGO says it knows through sources that it does not identify, is complied with in all tourist centers that have these animals, while about 2,800 are exhibited in centers for various activities in Thailand, according to data from the organization.

These practices, they insist, have been spreading in Asian countries to attract foreign visitors, as it is seen as a less aggressive spectacle, leaving behind elephant rides, whose attractiveness has decreased in recent years, when – the NGO believes – awareness against animal abuse has grown.

Bathing elephants: health risk for animals and humans

The nature reserve of the tourist island of Phuket prohibits visitors from having direct contact with animals, except to observe them from a prudent distance, and on its website clarifies: “Elelphants do not want to be bathed by humans and humans should not bathe elephants.”

This center warns about the health risks that these baths contain for the animal and for humans, because – among other factors – the elephant can urinate or defecate, increasing the chances of infection for himself and for tourists who stay close, thanks to these offers that allow up to two hours of contact for a price close to one hundred euros.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

“In wet and slippery conditions you can fall. With a three-ton elephant nearby, potentially stressed, this is something you really want to avoid,” warns the reserve, which does not deny that pachyderms enjoy bathing or covering themselves with mud, but only when they want it.

The activity generates disparity of opinions and other centers, including a very popular one 155 kilometers from Bangkok that was open on its website this Monday, offer bathing with elephants as one of their activities, defending the protection of the animal and denying possible abuses.

Thailand, the country of elephants

Thailand, which leads the number of elephants in Southeast Asia, tries to control the growth of this population with contraceptive programs to mainly prevent the rapid reproduction of pachyderms in wildlife.

According to government records, there are currently between 4,013 and 4,222 wild elephants (living in freedom), which have caused the death of 240 people since 2012 and that sometimes cross to areas inhabited by people, due to the loss of natural habitat.

It is also estimated that there is a similar population of domestic elephants in the country, of which there is no recent official data on serious incidents with humans, most of them used in shows intended for tourists.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

International

Maradona’s daughter accuses medical team of “horrible manipulation” in court

One of the daughters of Diego Maradona testified in court this Tuesday, breaking down in tears as she denounced what she described as “absolute and horrible manipulation” by her father’s medical team, during an emotional hearing in Argentina.

Gianinna Maradona stated that she and her siblings agreed to home hospitalization after doctors presented it as the best option following the neurosurgery Maradona underwent on November 3, 2020.

The football icon died on November 25 of that year, and the ongoing trial seeks to determine whether the conditions of his home care were appropriate.

According to Gianinna, what the family found at the residence where Maradona was recovering did not match what had been promised. She testified that there was no adequate medical equipment, constant monitoring, or even an ambulance available, despite assurances of continuous care.

“The manipulation was absolute and horrible,” she said during the hearing in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

She accused members of the medical team, including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, and psychologist Carlos Díaz, of misleading the family.

“I trusted these people, and all they did was manipulate us and leave my son without a grandfather,” she added.

Later in her testimony, recalling that six years have passed since her father’s death, she became emotional and said she struggled deeply with grief in the aftermath.

International

Trump extends Iran ceasefire after Pakistan mediation request

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Tuesday that he will extend the ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire on Wednesday, following a request from Pakistan.

In a statement shared on Truth Social, Trump said the truce will remain in place until Iran presents a proposal and negotiations are concluded, regardless of the outcome.

“I will extend the ceasefire until their proposal is presented and negotiations are completed, whatever the result,” the U.S. leader stated.

Trump justified the decision by claiming that Iran’s government is “deeply divided” and noting that Pakistani authorities, acting as mediators, requested a pause in military action until Iranian leaders and representatives submit a unified proposal.

International

Venezuelan opposition demands election date and minimum wage increase

A group of opposition members from the Zulia Humana and former political prisoners on Tuesday demanded that authorities set a date for elections in Venezuela and increase the minimum wage, which has been frozen since 2022 and is currently worth just a few cents per month according to the Banco Central de Venezuela.

During a press conference in Maracaibo, Professor Eduardo Labrador stressed the urgency of establishing an electoral timeline. “We demand that a date be set for elections so Venezuelans can have free and transparent voting. It is essential to have that date now,” he said.

Economist Rodrigo Cabezas, who served under the late President Hugo Chávez, also called for an increase in the minimum wage, arguing that it is feasible through economic policy measures, although he did not specify an amount due to limited public data.

Cabezas warned that Venezuela experienced “galloping inflation” between March of last year and March 2026, a stage that precedes hyperinflation—a phenomenon the country has already faced. However, he clarified that Venezuela is not currently in hyperinflation, expressing hope that it will not return.