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GOP seizes on Dem civil war as progressives jump into key 2026 Senate races: ‘They’re in shambles’

GOP seizes on Dem civil war as progressives jump into key 2026 Senate races: ‘They’re in shambles’

Without a clear party leader after losses up and down the ballot in 2024, progressive Democrats are wading into next year’s most competitive Senate primaries and exposing deep ideological rifts that some strategists warn could alienate swing voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans have celebrated progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s decision to launch a Senate campaign in Texas. While President Donald Trump has dismissed her as “low IQ,” Crockett has built a national audience, amassing millions of social media followers and the name recognition to instantly reshape the race. “The Democratic Party, they’re in shambles everywhere around the country — and no place more obvious than Texas,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. “Jasmine getting in this race is great news.” For Republicans, Crockett’s rise supports their argument that Democrats are veering too far left to compete in red and purple states. Her campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s comment request. JAMES CARVILLE BLASTS CROCKETT FOR BREAKING ‘FIRST RULE OF POLITICS’ FOCUSING ON HERSELF MORE THAN VOTERS Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is defending his seat, agreed, telling Fox News Digital, “She can’t win, so I’m really happy she’s decided to run.” PROGRESSIVE POWERHOUSES LAUNCH PRIMARY WAR AGAINST DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT AHEAD OF 2026 ELECTIONS And while Republicans breathe a sigh of relief, as Texas could be a pick-up opportunity for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee in 2026, some moderate Democrats are not convinced that a progressive candidate like Crockett will benefit the party in the long run. Liam Kerr, a Democratic strategist and co-founder of the centrist group Welcome, published an October report titled, “Deciding to Win,” warning that Democrats risk alienating voters by embracing far-left positions. “Any Democrat who can do math should be worried,” Kerr told Fox News Digital, arguing that “it’s not just losing this race.” “It’s also damaging the overall party brand, hurting candidates down-ballot, and losing the muscles you build that focus on persuading voters,” he said. Crockett has gone viral for her public missteps and gaffes, from calling Gov. Greg Abbott, “Governor Hot Wheels,” to referring to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., as a “bleach blonde bad built butch body,” during a House Oversight Committee hearing. “When you explicitly say we don’t need Trump voters to win, you’re not only denying mass, you’re denying an opportunity for voters to consider Democrats for other races and in the future,” Kerr said. Kerr added that “centrists need to be off the sidelines with the same energy that the left is bringing to these fights.” “Republicans have developed a very clear framework for voters to view Democrats as elite, out-of-touch, and extreme,” Kerr explained. “Every time a high-profile Democrat says something out of touch or extreme, it just adds credence to that, and it’s like the swing voter is permanently on a jury, where Republicans have a strong prosecutor and Democrats have terrible witnesses, and you just keep giving more pieces of evidence that you’re guilty of extremism.“ And Republicans who spoke to Fox News Digital this week seemed to be following that very playbook. “All across the country, what we’re seeing is Jasmine is being repeated, replicated all across the country,” Scott said. “Socialism is in vogue in the Democrat Party. It is a sad day around the country for those who believe that the Democrat Party was going to have a comeback. They’re not coming back. We’re going to win, keep the majority, expand the majority all across the map.” Yet, the Democratic Party has claimed to be on the “offense” following gubernatorial wins in Virginia and New Jersey this year and after losing a ruby red Tennessee district by nine points in December’s special election. But Scott, who is the Republican spearheading efforts to maintain the Senate majority, said the buck doesn’t stop at Crockett. “The Democrats, you look at who’s in their primaries – cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs,” Scott said. “Michigan, a devastating manifestation. Three Democrats fighting tooth and nail to lose to Mike Rogers.” Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidates include rising progressive star state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, Sen. Bernie Sanders-aligned Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, who recently filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Cornyn said progressive candidates jumping into these Senate Democratic primaries prove the “Democratic Party has become the captive of the left wing,” pointing to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s successful socialist campaign. “Even people like Chuck Schumer have been hijacked by the Bernie Sanders and AOC wing of the Democratic Party,” Cornyn said, referring to progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment regarding the implication that he is losing control of Senate Democrats. Cornyn, who served as NRSC chair for two terms, said that groups like the DSCC are losing power as candidates can find national recognition and build their own coalition without the support of the organized political parties. “The organized political parties have lost power because of the advent of Super PACs and all these various ways that people, even without political party support, can basically win these contested primaries, and together with those small turnout in the primaries and usually the most rabid activists, they elect people who are ultimately, and I hope, unelectable,” Cornyn said. And Kerr told Fox News Digital that the DSCC “has a very strong track record, but the political industry is moving away from parties being in control.” JASMINE CROCKETT USES TRUMP’S ‘LOW IQ’ INSULTS TO LAUNCH HER TEXAS SENATE CAMPAIGN IN DEBUT AD “The formal party has less and less power every year that goes by. And individual candidates who are able to fundraise and communicate directly to hardcore Democrats are gaining more and more power relative to the party,” Kerr said, arguing that the DSCC’s “ability to slow or stop these candidates is diminishing over time.“ When reached for comment,

Trump admin ramps up key border security move that is expected to run over 1,400 miles: ‘Important tool’

Trump admin ramps up key border security move that is expected to run over 1,400 miles: ‘Important tool’

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration announced it had awarded five new contracts to help continue building a high-tech “Smart Wall” along the southern U.S.-Mexico border in Texas and Arizona, bringing the total spent on constructing the border barrier to $8 billion. In total, when completed, the border wall is expected to include 1,418 miles of new “Primary Smart Wall,” 536 miles of a “Waterborne Barrier System,” and 708 miles of “Secondary Border Wall.” Approximately 536 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border without barrier will be covered by detection technology “due to unfavorable terrain or remoteness of location,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) notes. Meanwhile, CBP is also deploying roughly 549 miles of technology in locations with previously constructed barriers, according to the agency. “Securing our border is key to protecting our country, keeping our communities safe, and making sure our immigration system works the way it should. A border wall with the right technology – a Smart Wall – is an important tool to stop illegal activity and to help agents do their job, which is critical in keeping America safe,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. BORDER PATROL CHIEF URGES ILLINOIS TO FOLLOW LOUISIANA BLUEPRINT AS THREATS AGAINST AGENTS SURGE The Smart Wall includes various technological innovations. It has a steel bollard wall, accompanying roads, special detection technology, cameras, lighting and, in some cases, waterborne barriers or secondary barriers to ensure extra protection. The five new contracts being awarded will cost $3.3 billion, with the money originating from Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act spending package. They will add 97 miles of the primary border wall system, 19 miles of secondary border, and 66 miles of a waterborne barrier system.  DEMOCRATIC LEADERS PUSH BACK AGAINST IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN CHICAGO The contracts will also add 149 miles of detection technology around pre-existing border structures where the Smart Wall construction is not complete.  In addition to the new contracts, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued nine new waivers to fast-track construction efforts in several sectors. These waivers were published in the Federal Register in October, November and this month.

Trump launches massive ‘Freedom 250’ push to ignite America’s 250th birthday celebration

Trump launches massive ‘Freedom 250’ push to ignite America’s 250th birthday celebration

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump is kicking off America’s monthslong birthday bash celebrating the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding with a new nonpartisan organization dubbed Freedom 250 that will lead the administration’s celebrations, Fox Digital learned.  The year “2026 will mark a celebration of America unlike anything we have ever done, and I am grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to execute his vision for Freedom 250,” Keith Krach, former undersecretary of state under the first Trump administration, who was named CEO of Freedom 250, said in a press release of the new organization.  “By working alongside states, businesses, and organizations across the country, Freedom 250 will reignite the pioneering spirit that defines America to strengthen the foundation for the next 250 years of independence, opportunity, and freedom.” The new initiative brings together states, companies and organizations to plan and participate in events celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday “by mobilizing partners and communities in all 50 states and around the world,” Fox News Digital learned. It will work in coordination with the White House Task Force 250, federal departments, and the America250 Commission to plan and deliver on the events nationwide.  TOP AUTOMAKER UNLEASHES 250 LIMITED-EDITION CORVETTES INSPIRED BY AMERICA’S FOUNDING “This means so much to him personally, as it does to every single American,” Ambassador Monica Crowley told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday. She likened the commemoration to America’s bicentennial, saying that the organizers of America 250 were looking to recapture the feeling of the 1976 celebration. “Some of us might remember 1976 and the bicentennial. We may not remember the details of every bit of that, but we remember how we felt,” she said. “And so, what we are planning with Freedom 250 is this massive monumental celebration that President Trump promised back in his first term, a celebration that really creates that feeling of a renewal of pride and patriotism.” Trump shared a video message on Thursday morning announcing the initiative, as well as previewing a handful of high-profile events celebrating the milestone.  “To help carry out these exciting plans, we have created a new public-private partnership. It’s called Freedom 250. Working with states, companies, and organizations across the country, we will renew the patriotism, pride, and pioneering spirit of America and lay the groundwork for the next 250 years of independence and freedom. This will be a time like you’ve never had in your lives, America 250. Thank you, I love you all,” he said in the video message.  Trump touted that Americans will “never see anything like it, and you’ll ever see anything like it again” of the line-up of events. “As we ring in 2026, Americans across the nation will see the iconic Washington Monument illuminated with festive birthday lights to honor the start of this historic anniversary year. Then from June 25th to July 10th of next year, we will host the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, featuring pavilions from all 50 states, highlighting breathtaking innovations and celebrating America’s exceptional history and culture,” Trump said. The line-up will include the first “Patriot Games,” Trump said, which is a four-day athletic event “featuring the greatest high school athletes, one young man and one young woman from each state and territory.” The games will be held in the fall, according to the president.  “But I promise there will be no men playing in women’s sports. You’re not gonna see that. You’ll see everything but that,” he quipped.   “Celebrating the Triumph of the American Spirit,” Freedom 250’s website, launched on Thursday morning, declares of the group’s focus.  The website touting the year of celebrations includes engaging Americans with videos crafted in part by Hillsdale College, which tell “the remarkable story of American independence.”  The site’s calendar is packed with patriotic events, including an ongoing freedom tour hitting all 50 states in the order they joined the union. The tour features Cabinet officials and local and state leaders visiting schools to highlight America’s history. The events will kick off with the Washington Monument illuminated from Dec. 31 through Jan. 5 that will mark “the start of this once-in-a-generation anniversary year.” Trump has been eyeing the 250th birthday for years and pledged on the 2024 campaign trail to celebrate it in grand fashion. “The president promised in his first term, and going into this term, even as a candidate, the most monumental celebration of America for our big 250th birthday, and through Freedom 250 and so many other elements, he is delivering on these promises,” Crowley told “Fox & Friends.” IVANKA TRUMP RE-ENTERS DC RING FOR UPCOMING KNOCKOUT UFC WHITE HOUSE FIGHT “As a nation, we should be preparing for the most spectacular birthday party. We want to make it the best of all time,” Trump said in a 2023 campaign video. The new website also offers “toolkits” showing Americans how to mark the milestone in their own communities, including a toolkit for teachers, one for state fairs and another tailored to rodeos. UFC WHITE HOUSE PLANS REVEALED, INCLUDING WEIGH-INS AT LINCOLN MEMORIAL: REPORT Another section highlights America’s natural beauty, 250 years of innovation and how many Americans say the nation’s fabric has been woven with prayer and faith. The nation already has held a series of events tied to the 250th milestone, including a June 14 military parade Trump hosted in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. Tanks rolled through the streets, military jets roared overhead and fireworks lit up the National Mall.  The parade fell on Flag Day, which also marked Trump’s 79th birthday. Among the lengthy list of upcoming events celebrating the anniversary is the highly anticipated White House UFC fight, which first daughter Ivanka Trump is helping facilitate, Fox News Digital previously reported.  Trump revealed in his video message on Thursday that the UFC fight will be held on Flag Day, June 14.  “And on Flag Day, We will have a one-of-a-kind UFC event here at the White House. It’ll be the greatest champion fighters

Can India catch up with the US, Taiwan and China in the global chip race?

Can India catch up with the US, Taiwan and China in the global chip race?

In October, a small electronics manufacturer in the western Indian state of Gujarat shipped its first batch of chip modules to a client in California. Kaynes Semicon, together with Japanese and Malaysian technology partners, assembled the chips in a new factory funded with incentives under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s $10bn semiconductor push announced in 2021. Modi has been trying to position India as an additional manufacturing hub for global companies that may be looking to expand their production beyond China, with limited success. One sign of that is India’s first commercial foundry for mature chips that is currently under construction, also in Gujarat. The $11bn project is supported by technology transfer from a Taiwanese chipmaker and has onboarded the United States chip giant Intel as a potential customer. With companies the world over hungering for chips, India’s entry into that business could boost its role in global supply chains. But experts caution that India still has a long way to go in attracting more foreign investment and catching up in cutting-edge technology. Unprecedented momentum Semiconductor chips are designed, fabricated in foundries, and then assembled and packaged for commercial use. The US leads in chip design, Taiwan in fabrication, and China, increasingly, in packaging. The upcoming foundry in Gujarat is a collaboration between India’s Tata Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the country, and Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC), which is assisting with the plant’s construction and technology transfer. Advertisement On December 8, Tata Electronics also signed an agreement with Intel to explore the manufacturing and packaging of its products in Tata’s upcoming facilities, including the foundry. The partnership will address the growing domestic demand. Last year, Tata was approved for a 50 percent subsidy from the Modi government for the foundry, along with additional state-level incentives, and could come online as early as December 2026. Even if delayed, the project marks a pivotal moment for India, which has seen multiple attempts to build a commercial fab stall in the past. The foundry will focus on fabricating chips ranging from 28 nanometres (nm) to 110nm, typically referred to as mature chips because they are comparatively easier to produce than smaller 7nm or 3nm chips. Mature chips are used in most consumer and power electronics, while the smaller chips are in high demand for AI data centres and high-performance computing. Globally, the technology for mature chips is more widely available and distributed. Taiwan leads production of these chips, with China fast catching up, though Taiwan’s TSMC dominates production for cutting-edge nodes below 7nm. “India has long been strong in chip design, but the challenge has been converting that strength into semiconductor manufacturing,” said Stephen Ezell, vice president for global innovation policy at the Washington, DC-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). “In the past two to three years, there’s been more progress on that front than in the previous decade – driven by stronger political will at both the central and state levels, and a more coordinated push from the private sector to commit to these investments,” Ezell told Al Jazeera. Easy entry point More than half of the Modi government’s $10bn in semiconductor incentives is earmarked for the Tata-PSMC venture, with the remainder supporting nine other projects focused mainly on the assembly, testing and packaging (ATP) stage of the supply chain. These are India’s first such projects – one by Idaho-based Micron Technology, also in Gujarat, and another by the Tata Group in the northeastern Assam state. Both will use in-house technologies and have drawn investments of $2.7bn and $3.3bn, respectively. The remaining projects are smaller, with cumulative investments of about $2bn, and are backed by technology partners such as Taiwan’s Foxconn, Japan’s Renesas Electronics, and Thailand’s Stars Microelectronics. “ATP units offer a lower path of resistance compared to a large foundry, requiring smaller investments – typically between $50m and $1bn. They also carry less risk, and the necessary technology know-how is widely available globally,” Ashok Chandak, president of the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), told Al Jazeera. Advertisement Still, most of the projects are behind schedule. Micron’s facility, approved for incentives in June 2023, was initially expected to begin production by late 2024. However, the company noted in its fiscal 2025 report that the Gujarat facility will “address demand in the latter half of this decade”. Approved in February 2024, the Tata facility was initially slated to be operational by mid-2025, but the timeline has now been pushed to April 2026. When asked for reasons behind the delays, both Micron and Tata declined to comment. One exception is a smaller ATP unit by Kaynes Semicon, which in October exported a consignment of sample chip modules to an anchor client in California – a first for India. Another project by CG Semi, part of India’s Murugappa Group, is in trial runs, with commercial production expected in the coming months. The semiconductor projects under the Tata Group and the Murugappa Group have drawn public scrutiny after Indian online news outlet Scroll.in reported that both companies made massive political donations after they were picked for the projects. As per Scroll.in, the Tata Group donated 7.5 billion rupees ($91m) and 1.25 billion rupees ($15m), respectively, to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) just weeks after securing government subsidies in February 2024 and ahead of national elections. Neither group had made such large donations to the party before. Such donations are not prohibited by law. Both the Tata Group and the Murugappa Group declined to comment to Al Jazeera regarding the reports. Meeting domestic demand a key priority The upcoming projects in India – both the foundry and the ATP units – will primarily focus on legacy, or mature, chips sized between 28nm and 110nm. While these chips are not at the cutting-edge of semiconductor technology, they account for the bulk of global demand, with applications across cars, industrial equipment and consumer electronics. China dominates the ATP segment globally with a 30 percent share and accounted for 42 percent of semiconductor

‘No evidence’ Australia’s Bondi gunmen trained in the Philippines: Official

‘No evidence’ Australia’s Bondi gunmen trained in the Philippines: Official

Philippine official said ‘a mere visit’ to the country does not support claims the men underwent ‘terrorist training’. There is no evidence the suspected gunmen in the deadly Bondi Beach attack received military training in the southern Philippines, Manila’s national security adviser has said, as Australia announced plans to introduce measures to tighten the country’s hate speech laws. In a Wednesday statement, Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano confirmed the two suspects in Sunday’s attack in Sydney, Australia – which saw 15 people killed after gunmen opened fire at a Jewish event – were in the country from November 1 to 28 this year. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Ano said immigration records showed that 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram travelled via the Philippine capital Manila to Davao City on the southern island of Mindanao. He added that Sajid had entered the country on an Indian passport, while Naveed entered on an Australian one. Ano added that there was “no evidence” that the men had received “any form of military training” while in the country. “A mere visit does not support allegations of terrorist training, and the duration of their stay would not have allowed for any meaningful or structured training,” he said. The men mostly stayed in their hotel rooms when in Davao, according to a report by local news outlet MindaNews. Staff at the hotel said the pair checked in on November 1 and rarely went out for more than an hour at a time during their almost monthlong stay. Australian authorities announced on Wednesday that Naveed Akram had been charged with 59 offences for his role in the attack, including murder and terror charges, when he woke from his coma. Sajid Akram, his father, was shot dead by police at the scene. Ano also suggested that reports describing Mindanao – home to most of the Catholic-majority country’s Muslim population, plagued by a decades-long secessionist conflict – as a “hotspot for violent extremism or Islamic State ideology” were “outdated and misleading”. Advertisement “Since the 2017 Marawi Siege, Philippine security forces have significantly degraded ISIS-affiliated groups in the country,” he said, referring to a five-month battle in which the ISIL-inspired Maute group seized the southern city and fought government forces. “The remnants of these groups have been fragmented, deprived of leadership, and operationally degraded,” Ano added. A 2014 peace agreement, which saw rebels drop their secessionist aspirations in exchange for a more powerful and better-funded Muslim autonomous region called Bangsamoro, has also brought a degree of calm to Mindanao. But smaller rebel groups continue to carry out sporadic, deadly attacks across the restive southern Philippines’ region. ‘Also an attack on the Australian way of life’: Anthony Albanese On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to introduce new legislation cracking down on hate speech in response to the Bondi Beach attack, as he acknowledged that Australia had witnessed an increase in anti-Semitism since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, and Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Announcing the new measures at a news conference, Albanese said his government will seek to introduce legislation making it easier to charge people promoting hate speech and violence – including religious preachers – while new powers will be created to cancel or reject visas of people who spread “hate and division”. The legislation would also develop a regime to target organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech, Albanese added. Albanese said rising anti-Semitism “culminated on Sunday in one of the worst acts of mass murder that this country has ever seen”. “It was an attack on our Jewish community – but it was also an attack on the Australian way of life. Australians are shocked and angry. I am angry. It is clear we need to do more to combat this evil scourge, much more,” he said. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said on Wednesday he would recall the state parliament next week in order to pass urgent reforms on gun laws. Adblock test (Why?)

US kills 4 in latest Pacific Ocean attack as Venezuela tension spirals

US kills 4 in latest Pacific Ocean attack as Venezuela tension spirals

New attack brings death toll to nearly 100 from US strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean. The United States military said it killed four people in its latest attack on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, announcing the “lethal” strike after resolutions seeking to rein in President Donald Trump’s aggression towards Venezuela were voted down by US lawmakers. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which is leading the burgeoning “Southern Spear” military operation in the Latin America region, said the attack on Wednesday targeted “four male narco-terrorists” without providing any evidence that the destroyed vessel was involved in drug trafficking. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “The vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” SOUTHCOM said in a post on social media alongside a video showing a speedboat being destroyed. Ordered by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the attack brings to almost 100 the number of people killed in US strikes on 26 vessels – that Washington has acknowledged – in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean since September. While legal experts have accused the US of carrying out a campaign of extrajudicial killings in international waters, Trump has justified the attacks as necessary to halt the flow of drugs into the US from drug cartels, particularly those based in Venezuela. On Wednesday, the Republican-majority House of Representatives voted 213 to 211 against a resolution directing the president to remove US forces from hostilities with or against Venezuela without congressional authorisation. Advertisement The House also voted 216 to 210 against a resolution that would remove US forces from hostilities with “any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere” unless authorised by Congress. The defeat of the resolutions comes as a huge US military deployment is under way in Latin America, involving thousands of troops, Washington’s largest aircraft carrier, and a nuclear-powered submarine, as Trump threatens military action to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government. On Tuesday, Trump ordered a naval blockade of all oil tankers, which are under US sanctions, entering and leaving Venezuelan ports, a move that Maduro’s government called a “grotesque threat” that was aimed at “stealing the riches that belong to our homeland”. Last week, US soldiers boarded and seized the Skipper oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and were reported to have brought the vessel to the US state of Texas to unload its oil cargo. The New York Times reports that Venezuela’s navy has started to escort ships carrying petroleum products from ports following Trump’s announcement of the sea blockade. Several ships left the country’s east coast with a naval escort on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, the Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. Latin American leaders and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have also expressed concerns as the prospect of war looms larger as tensions mount between Washington and Caracas. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called on the UN to act to prevent violence in Venezuela. “It has not been present. It must assume its role to prevent any bloodshed,” she said on Wednesday, reiterating Mexico’s position of being against intervention and foreign interference in Venezuela. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he was “concerned about President Trump’s attitudes towards Latin America, about the threats”. Lula also said that he had urged dialogue between Caracas and Washington in a call with Trump earlier this month. “The power of the word can outweigh the power of the gun … I said to Trump: ‘If you are interested in talking to Venezuela properly, we can contribute. Now, you have to be willing to talk, you have to be patient,’” Lula said. In Venezuela, Maduro held a phone call with UN chief Guterres and denounced the US naval blockade, according to reports. Maduro “denounced … the recent escalation of colonial threats against Venezuela”, the Agencia Venezuela news site reported. Advertisement The Venezuelan leader also described as “barbaric diplomacy” comments by US administration officials that “Venezuela’s natural resources belong to it”. Adblock test (Why?)