Rep. Ilan Omar (D-MN) claimed the Trump administration was waging a “coup” against the Venezuelan government for recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido, who temporarily assumed presidential powers in an effort to unseat Nicolas Maduro.
“A US backed coup in Venezuela is not a solution to the dire issues they face,” she said on Twitter.
“Trump’s efforts to install a far right opposition will only incite violence and further destabilize the region. We must support Mexico, Uruguay & the Vatican’s efforts to facilitate a peaceful dialogue.”
A US backed coup in Venezuela is not a solution to the dire issues they face. Trump's efforts to install a far right opposition will only incite violence and further destabilize the region. We must support Mexico, Uruguay & the Vatican's efforts to facilitate a peaceful dialogue.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 25, 2019
Omar's tweet is particularly notable given that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi placed the anti-Israel freshman Democrat on the powerful House Committee on Foreign Affairs--a move she was widely criticized for.
The U.S. joins Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Guatemala in recognizing Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president.
“The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out against Maduro and his regime and demanded freedom and the rule of law,” Trump said in a statement Wednesday. “I will continue to use the full weight of United States economic and diplomatic power to press for the restoration of Venezuelan democracy.”
Many on the right, left, and center were quick to call Ilan out for the tweet.
This is bats*** lunacy on every level https://t.co/uSlDhbdzKT
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 25, 2019
* The opposition is not far-right
— Yascha Mounk (@Yascha_Mounk) January 25, 2019
* The idea that there is no violence at the moment, or that it's the result of US policy rather than Nicolas Maduro, is absurd
As the vastly differing stances by Sanders and Omar show, the left of the Dems is much less united than people think. https://t.co/T2ch125uWC
I’m venezuelan. We totally support what USA is doing for us. There is no room for dialogues cause you don’t negotiate with criminals and narcos. The left just turned the richest country in South America in one of the poorest ones in the world. I really hope socialism disappears
— Carlita Reis (@MyBodybyCarla1) January 25, 2019