International

Donald Trump: the master of provocation who never admits defeat

Always attack, never apologize and never admit defeat. These are the lessons that Donald Trump learned as a young man and a manual that has guided his life until today, when this businessman turned politician fulfills his goal of returning to the White House despite his turbulent first term.

This Tuesday’s elections between former Republican president and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are the third to which Trump is presented, but in none of the previous polls had given him as many options to win as now.

This 78-year-old master of provocation has managed to re-elay a political career that seemed over when in 2021 he left the White House defeated with a country divided by a controversial presidency that had an explosive end with the assault on the Capitol.

For Trump, the duel with Harris is not only an opportunity to rewrite his legacy, but also a matter of almost personal survival since returning to power would allow him to avoid the pending accounts he has with Justice.

A tycoon turned president

Born on June 14, 1946 in Queens (New York) to a family of German descent, Donald John Trump graduated in Finance, at the age of 28 took over from his father’s real estate and built a millionaire empire not exempt from controversies over debts and tax evasion.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

But his political career could not be explained without the fame he acquired thanks to the world of entertainment and television. He even presented his own program, “The Apprentice”, in which he dismissed contestants who intended to work in his company.

When in 2015 he went down the golden escalators of the Trump Tower to announce his first presidential race, the Republican Party took it as a joke, but his ‘outsider’ image catapulted him to the nomination.

He promised to build a border wall and, against all odds, won the 2016 election to Hillary Clinton. The tycoon had managed to connect with the white working class who felt like a victim of globalization and wanted to make the United States “big again.”

Thus was born Trumpism, one of the most important political movements in the history of the United States and that has influenced the populist right around the world.

Donald Trump and an incendiary mandate

Since he came to power, Trump embraced insult and confrontation as a political style and ruled on Twitter. Although he popularized the concept of ‘fake news’ to attack the media, he himself was a great diffuser of lies.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The questionable management of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial riots dynamited his re-election, which months earlier seemed assured by the good performance of the economy.

He lost in 2020 against Joe Biden although, true to his style, he never admitted defeat and spread the biggest of his lies: that of electoral fraud.

The courts rejected all their demands, but a mob of Trumpist fanatics assaulted the Capitol on January 6, 2021 in a last frustrated attempt to stop the transition of powers.

“We will return somehow,” Trump said as he left Washington repudiated by his allies and when he seemed ostracized.

The resurgence

But the tycoon never disappeared from the front line; he capitalized on the discontent over the high inflation and used his various judicial messes to his advantage, including his accusation for the assault on the Capitol and the conviction for irregular payments to the porn actress Stormy Daniels, the first conviction of a former president and who is still pending sentence.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

He campaigned with a photo of his police file as if he were a politically persecuted and swept this year without rumsing his hair in the Republican Party primaries, which has been molded to his image and likeness.

A cult of the leader that reached its maximum splendor on July 13 when Trump dodged a bullet by the hair in an assassination attempt at an electoral rally, a scene that was immortalized in his iconic photo with his fist raised and his ear bloody.

Donald Trump, doesn’t change his rhetoric

The Republican has not moderated his rhetoric: he has insinuated that he would be “dictator for a day,” he has accused migrants of eating their neighbors’ pets and has refused to apologize after a comedian at one of his rallies called Puerto Rico a “garbage island.”

Although they live apart, her return to the presidency would also be the return as first lady of Slovenian model Melania Trump, her third marriage after Ivana Trump and Marla Maples.

With an unmistakable blond hairstyle and orange tan, Trump does not drink, loves hamburgers and is very superstitious: campaigning at a McDonald’s he spilled the salt and threw himself a little over his shoulder as a spell against bad luck.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

International

U.S. to invest $700 million in coal plants and mines under Trump initiative

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a $700 million funding package aimed at supporting the American coal industry, marking the latest step in his administration’s efforts to boost the use of the fossil fuel.

According to Trump, the funding will be used to keep 14 coal-fired power plants operating across ten states, maintain 42 coal mines, and support the construction of two new power plants and an export terminal.

The president said the initiative will be financed through the Defense Production Act, a law enacted in 1950 that grants emergency powers to the president to support and direct domestic industries considered critical to national interests.

Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has pursued policies designed to expand domestic energy production and roll back a number of environmental regulations. He has also repeatedly questioned the scientific consensus regarding human-caused climate change.

Coal remains the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions among major energy sources, making it a central focus of debates over climate policy and energy security.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the initiative, describing coal as a critical resource for both electricity generation and industrial production.

The announcement comes as global energy markets continue to evolve. According to an analysis by the Global Energy Monitor, the world added and commissioned more coal-fired power capacity in 2025, although overall coal consumption declined. The report also found that the United States was the only major economy to record a significant increase in coal-fired power generation during that period.

The new funding package underscores the administration’s commitment to supporting traditional energy industries while debate continues over the balance between energy security, economic growth and environmental objectives.

International

Four decapitated bodies found in abandoned vehicle near Guerrero state Congress

Police in Mexico have found four decapitated bodies inside an abandoned vehicle parked near the state Congress building in Guerrero, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

The southern state of Guerrero, home to the resort city of Acapulco, has long been affected by violent clashes between criminal organizations competing for control of drug trafficking routes.

According to prosecutors cited by AFP, the bodies were wrapped in black plastic bags and left inside a car parked at one of the rear entrances of the legislative building in the state capital, Chilpancingo.

Authorities say the region has seen intensified conflict between rival drug trafficking groups, including the Sierra Cartel and Los Ardillos, a criminal organization that Indigenous communities have accused of carrying out attacks in the mountainous, impoverished areas of the state.

The ongoing violence highlights the persistent security crisis in Guerrero, where organized crime continues to exert significant influence over large parts of the territory.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

International

Foro Penal Reports 404 Political Prisoners Still Held in Venezuela

The Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal, which leads legal defense efforts for political prisoners in the country, reported on Wednesday that 404 people remain imprisoned for political reasons, five fewer than the figure released a week earlier. Among those detained are 39 foreign nationals or individuals with dual citizenship.

According to data published by the organization, the current total includes 369 men and 35 women being held on political grounds. The report also indicates that 225 of the detainees are civilians, including one teenager, while 179 are members of the military.

Foro Penal stated that 167 of the prisoners have been convicted, whereas 237 remain behind bars without a final sentence. The organization also noted that it has documented 19,102 politically motivated detentions in Venezuela since 2014.

The updated figures come amid an ongoing process of prisoner releases announced by Venezuelan authorities. Two weeks ago, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said that approximately 300 detainees would be freed as part of a new round of releases, separate from those granted under an amnesty approved earlier this year.

Days later, acting President Delcy Rodríguez stated that the number of releases would reach 500 in the coming days. However, relatives of political prisoners and human rights organizations have questioned the pace of the process, arguing that the number of verified releases remains significantly lower than the figures announced by the government.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Foro Penal has reported that dozens of prisoners have been released in recent weeks, but the organization maintains that hundreds of people continue to be detained for political reasons despite the government’s promises and the implementation of the amnesty process.

Families of detainees have continued to demand greater transparency regarding the release process, alleging that many of the promised excarcerations have yet to materialize and calling on authorities to provide clear information about those who remain in custody.