Ayelén Oliva

Argentine ballerina Marianela Núñez, who joined London’s Royal Ballet in 1998 at age 16 and became a principal dancer at 20, reflects on nearly three decades with the company. She attributes her longevity to a deep passion for dance, rigorous daily training, Pilates, physiotherapy and careful attention to her body, while emphasizing the need to balance physical discipline with emotional vulnerability. Núñez remains closely connected to audiences in Argentina, where her popularity has been dubbed “Nelamania,” and continues to perform at Buenos Aires’s Teatro Colón. After receiving the Order of the British Empire from Charles III for services to dance, she says she has no immediate plans to retire and intends to keep dancing.

Paraguay’s fragmented and underfunded healthcare system is forcing patients and families to pay for medicines, equipment and treatment, often through raffles, donations or the sale of personal belongings. Nearly 70% of the population lacks health insurance, while rural coverage is even weaker, and public spending on healthcare remains below regional recommendations despite strong economic growth. Government officials attribute failures mainly to rising demand and poor resource management, while doctors and health advocates describe structural shortages, overcrowding, weak working conditions and corruption. President Santiago Peña has acknowledged healthcare as a major unresolved challenge and announced more than $500 million in investments, but specialists argue that hospital construction and digitization will not solve supply shortages or medical debt without broader reforms. Patients have also relied on hospitals in neighboring Argentina, although restrictions introduced by Javier Milei’s government have reduced that option.