Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) appointed Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to the House Foreign Relations Committee, and the radical “Justice Democrat” is already drawing mockery for her position on Venezuela.
On Wednesday, the U.S. and many other nations recognized the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, as the interim president of Venezuela, on the basis of provisions in the Venezuelan constitution that declare any government that destroys democracy or violates human rights in the country to be illegitimate.
Omar tweeted Thursday that the United States had backed a “coup” to bring the “right wing” opposition to power.
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
The problem: Venezuela’s opposition is socialist, and is invoking the country’s constitution, not seizing power.
In addition, Omar’s contention that the opposition will “incite violence” ignores the fact that the socialist regime of Nicolas Maduro — and of Hugo Chavez before him — has carried out violence against peaceful opposition protests.
Omar’s tweet was widely mocked by fellow Democrats, foreign policy experts, and — crucially — Venezuelans themselves.
Congresswoman Omar, as a Venezuelan who lives in the U.S. and identifies as liberal I find this statement highly irresponsible and ignorant. It is not a coup; the National Assembly is using the Constitution to restore democracy and rule of law in Venezuela.
— Andrés Riebman (@riebmanandres) January 25, 2019
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
Ilhan, I love you but as a Venezuelan American you could not be more wrong. The opposition is not a far right group it is not trump installing him. It is a movement by the people to overthrow an illegitimate dictator we just ask the int. community recognize the will of the ppl
— Marie (@_Mariabermudez_) January 25, 2019
Yet Omar doubled down on Friday morning, reiterating that the U.S. was conducting a “coup,” and blaming U.S. sanctions — not Maduro’s disastrous socialist policies — for the country’s persistent economic problems:
We can’t afford to get involved in costly interventions abroad when tens of millions struggle to access housing, healthcare, and clean water right here at home. U.S. meddling abroad always ends badly for us, and the people we claim to be “liberating”.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 25, 2019
Pelosi appointed Omar to the House Foreign Affairs Committee — Omar’s first choice — despite the Minnesota congresswoman’s history of hostility to Israel and her record of antisemitic statements.
Her position on Venezuela coincides with that of Iran, Russia, China, Turkey, the Palestinian Authority, and the Hezbollah terror group.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.