Ilhan Omar Claims Trump Lying About Venezuela Crisis: ‘Question the Narratives’

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has accused President Donald Trump and his envoy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams of lying about the humanitarian crisis faced by the country, as the White House steps up its efforts to remove the Maduro regime from power.

The far-left Congresswoman, who is a fierce opponent of regime change in the crisis-stricken country, maintains the U.S. should instead try to promote a “dialogue” with Venezuela and other left-wing governments including Mexico, Uruguay, and Bolivia.

“Trump and Elliott Abrams cannot be trusted to tell the truth about what’s happening in Venezuela,” Omar wrote on Twitter. “We must continue to question the narratives they provide and promote dialogue instead of intervention.”

Omar’s comments follow a report by The New York Times purporting to show members of the anti-Maduro opposition accidentally set a humanitarian aid convoy, sent by the U.S. and other regional contributors, alight after throwing a molotov cocktail at security forces attempting to block its passage into the country.

The footage contradicted appeared to contradict initial reports shared by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and White House National Security adviser John Bolton that the Venezuelan military were responsible for deliberately burning the aid convoys. Both Bolton and Rubio are currently leading U.S. efforts to isolate the Maduro regime, with the Treasury Department imposing a range of sanctions on senior regime officials as well as the country’s vital oil industry.

It is not the first time that Omar has weighed in on the crisis. Earlier this year, she falsely accused the Trump administration of trying to install a “far-right” leader in replace of Maduro, after the U.S. joined dozens of Western democracies in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó (whose Popular Party is actually affiliated with the Socialist International) as the country’s legitimate president.

“A US-backed coup in Venezuela is not a solution to the dire issues they face,” she wrote in January. “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.”

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