January 1, AOC Blunders on Venezuela Location, Draws Fire

Wyatt’s Take

• Ocasio-Cortez called Venezuela “below the equator” by mistake.
• She criticized the U.S. for capturing Maduro, but got her geography wrong.
• Backlash followed, and she skipped planned media outings.

Democrat lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stirred controversy after wrongly saying Venezuela sits south of the equator while commenting on the Trump administration’s capture of former dictator Nicolas Maduro.

During a speaking event in Berlin, she argued, “We look at what happened in Venezuela for example, it is not a remark on who Maduro was as a leader. He canceled elections, he was an anti-democratic leader, that doesn’t mean that we can kidnap a head of state and engage in acts of war just because the nation is below the equator.”

Venezuela is actually north of the equator. The U.S. carried out Operation Absolute Resolve to detain Maduro, charging him with narco-terrorism, drug offenses, and corruption in Manhattan.

Ocasio-Cortez also tried to mock Secretary of State Marco Rubio for stating that Spanish settlers influenced cowboy culture in America. In reality, Spanish conquistadors introduced horses to Mexico in 1519, and ranching traditions spread through the Southwest.

Conservatives blasted Ocasio-Cortez online for her missteps. Reports say she decided to cancel scheduled media events after the backlash. No leading Democrats defended her in this situation.

At the Munich Security Conference, she did not close the door on running for president in 2028 during her public appearance.

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Wyatt Matters

Getting simple facts right is a basic expectation for our leaders. Ordinary Americans deserve honesty and informed debate, not confusion from those in power.

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