‘Margarita-gate’: Sen. Chris Van Hollen slams efforts to stage optics of meeting with Abrego Garcia
Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, embarked on a mission to El Salvador this week in search of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man wrongly deported from the United States, to uncover the truth about his situation.
Upon meeting Abrego Garcia in person on Thursday, Van Hollen expressed his dismay towards El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and former President Donald Trump, accusing them of orchestrating a smear campaign against him and the deportee.
Van Hollen labeled the incident as “margarita-gate,” alleging that Bukele and his administration staged a photo of their meeting with what appeared to be margarita glasses on the table. The senator clarified that the glasses were placed there by Salvadoran officials midway through the meeting and neither he nor Abrego Garcia consumed any beverages from them.
The senator went on to criticize the narrative being propagated by Bukele and Trump’s allies, asserting that the entire meeting was dubious from the start. Despite facing obstacles in gaining access to CECOT, the facility where Abrego Garcia was initially said to be held, Van Hollen decided to return to the U.S. before receiving word that the deportee was available for a meeting.
During the encounter, which took place indoors at a dining area instead of poolside as suggested by El Salvador officials, Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia had glasses of water and a coffee cup on their tables, as depicted in a photo shared by the senator.
Van Hollen disclosed that at one point during the hour-long meeting, unidentified officials placed glasses on the table containing liquid with salt or sugar rims, although the content remained unknown to him.
Contrary to insinuations made about the margarita glasses, Van Hollen contended that no one drank from them, dismissing the allegations as baseless. El Salvador’s government has refrained from commenting on the senator’s assertions.
In response to the photo controversy, President Trump lambasted Van Hollen as “fake” and reiterated unverified claims regarding Abrego Garcia’s alleged affiliation with the MS-13 gang. Van Hollen refuted these claims, emphasizing that the focus should be on upholding the Supreme Court’s unanimous directive for Abrego Garcia’s repatriation to the U.S.
The senator underscored that the issue transcends Abrego Garcia’s individual case, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the constitutional rights of all individuals residing in the United States.
