RepresentativeAlexandria Ocasio-Cortezdrew criticism over the weekend after mistakenly describing Venezuela as being "below the equator" during remarks at a panel discussion in Berlin. Speaking on Sunday at the Technical University of Berlin, Ocasio-Cortez referred to Venezuela while criticising what she characterised as anti-democratic actions by itsousted president Nicolás Maduro.
"[Nicolas] Maduro canceled elections. He was an anti-democratic leader," she said, discussing elections held under Maduro's government that many international organizations have described as rigged.
Later in her remarks, she added: "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," referring to the Trump administration's capture of Maduro last month and its actions against suspected drug boats in the region. Venezuela lies just north of the equator.
Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens and who majored in international relations at Boston University, was in Germany to participate in discussions surrounding the Munich Security Conference. Her appearance was widely viewed as part of an effort to bolster her foreign policy credentials as she weighs a possible presidential or Senate bid in 2028.
Her broader message focused on the treatment of countries in the so-called global south, arguing that powerful nations often flout international norms and undermine weaker states.
The error quickly drew criticism, particularly from conservative commentators. "What's worse is the woke white liberals in Germany felt compelled to clap for her," Senator Bernie Moreno, Republican of Ohio, wrote on X. "Wokeness is truly a mind virus."
Conservative commentator Nick Sortor wrote that "AOC has AGAIN made a fool out of herself on stage saying that we can't capture leaders like Maduro in Venezuela ‘just because the nation is south of the equator' NONE of Venezuela is south of the equator PLEASE run in 2028, AOC."
The internet reacts to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's comments.
The independent journalist Glenn Greenwald also criticized her remarks, writing that "Whoever convinced AOC that she had successfully completed her tutoring and was now ready to give book reports about foreign policy in public really should look for another line of work. Unless the goal was to sabotage her. In which case: kudos for a job well done."
Ocasio-Cortez also faced online commentary over her pronunciation of "Venezuela" and "Maduro," with one social media user describing it as "among the many accidentally funny things AOC does while desperately trying to come off as a serious person."
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