Free Republic

Far-left New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being widely mocked for erroneously claiming that Venezuela is “below the equator” while trying to show off her foreign-policy chops in Germany. Venezuela sits just above the equator, but that didn’t stop the Democratic socialist — who majored in international relations at Boston University — from making the embarrassing gaffe while speaking at a Technical University of Berlin panel Sunday. “[Nicolas] Maduro canceled elections. He was an anti-democratic leader,” Ocasio-Cortez said, describing the Venezuela elections that took place under the Maduro regime and which many international organizations have said were rigged.

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez incorrectly stated on Sunday that Venezuela is “below the equator” while she criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for capturing former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Ocasio-Cortez argued at Technical University of Berlin’s TEDx event that the administration could not engage in a so-called “act of war” simply because Venezuela is south of the Equator, though Venezuela is located north of the equator. The U.S. captured Maduro in a special operations mission called Operation Absolute Resolve on Jan. 3 and charged him in Manhattan with narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy, weapon offenses and corruption. “We look...

Remember Dubai Ports International? The first-rate Emirates-based firm that, fair and square, tried to buy the operations of several U.S. ports? They were reviled as terrorists, a public outcry followed and then U.S. Congress stuck its nose into the whole business, baselessly condemning the company for no good reason until they were ignominously forced to withdraw from those plans. It was totally unfair to them, they didn’t deserve that kind of treatment, and it sent an incredibly bad message to the rest of the world that the U.S. was flamingly hypocritical. That whole debacle made me ill. Anyway, this setback...

Canada's major airlines have all suspended service to Cuba, with Air Transat announcing Monday evening it was joining Air Canada and WestJet in cancelling all flights, as the Caribbean island's major airport warns it will run out of jet fuel. All three airlines said they had plans to bring travellers home to Canada. Over the following days, Air Canada will fly empty planes to pick up approximately 3,000 customers already in Cuba and return them home, the airline said Monday in a statement. "Air Canada took the decision following advisories issued by governments (NOTAMs) regarding the unreliability of the aviation...

Russian airlines Rossiya and Nordwind, which regularly connect Moscow with Cuban destinations such as Havana, Varadero, and Holguín, have decided to suspend their flights to the island due to a critical shortage of aviation fuel. The decision was confirmed this Wednesday by the Russian federal aviation agency Rosaviatsia. In an official statement published on Telegram, the agency explained: "Due to the difficulties in supplying aircraft fuel in Cuba, the airlines Rossiya (part of the Aeroflot group) and Nordwind were forced to modify their flight schedules to the airports in this country." According to the agency, Rossiya will operate only repatriation...

The booming Cuba tourism that brought tens of thousands of American and Canadian liberals to Cuba where, if they were sufficiently famous they could meet with Fidel Castro (now somewhat more difficult) and if they weren’t, they could enjoy juicy bloody burgers, classic cars and sex with 9-year-old girls (Communist Cuba’s child sex tourism business in notorious) is now endangered by fuel shortages. Cuban authorities have notified international airlines that they won’t be able to refuel at the island’s airports, as the country’s energy crisis deepens following President Donald Trump’s steps to cut the island’s oil supply in a push...

Another sterling week for the Trump administration, another interval of agony for his opponents. The attention of those less politically minded is focused on the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy -- always fodder for the would-be Colombos and Miss Marples -- and the Olympics. Yet this week saw some victories for the administration along with some serious unfinished business. The ousted dictator Nicolás Maduro seems isolated, depressed, and devoid of funds sufficient to hire teams of lawyers to defend him. Any claims he might have for immunity seem destined to fail. The evidence establishes he was born in Colombia;...

Tuesday on MS NOW’s “The 11th Hour,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should not be wearing masks during their operations in American cities. Paul said, “I think the main thing is if you want trust to develop again, I’m not somebody who wants to abolish ICE. I want ICE to behave within the rules and enforce the law. But I want them to behave in a normal, rational law enforcement manner.” Host Stephanie Ruhle said, “Do you think it’s OK for ICE to be wearing these masks? Paul said, “I think that anonymity and wearing...

A set of internal documents published by the Republican members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee (Judiciary GOP) has sent shockwaves through Brussels. Released under the title The EU Censorship Files, Part II, the investigation presents documentary evidence of a sustained strategy by the European Commission to influence public debate on social media and digital platforms, pressuring major tech companies to censor lawful content, alter their internal rules, and restrict certain political viewpoints. https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/2018683758006665352 The revelations go far beyond an abstract debate over content moderation. According to the material made public, the Commission has directly or indirectly intervened in at...

Poland is to launch an investigation into possible links between Jeffrey Epstein and Russian authorities. Prime Minister Donald Tusk wants to determine whether the convicted paedophile was working for the country's secret services.

Russia has used a record number of ballistic missiles to target Ukraine's energy sector, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. The combined missile and drone strikes hit power plants and infrastructure in Kyiv and multiple locations causing "the most powerful blow" so far this year, according to private energy company DTEK. The strikes were launched as temperatures dropped to -20C (-4F) and left more than 1,000 tower blocks in the capital without heating once again and damaged a power plant in the eastern city of Kharkiv beyond repair. Zelensky said Russia was "choosing terror and escalation" rather than diplomacy to end...

Four Massachusetts residents are accused of using more than 100 stolen identities to get over $1 million in food stamps and pandemic-era unemployment benefits in a multi-state fraud scheme, federal prosecutors say. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley said stolen identities from Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico were used to obtain $440,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The defendants also allegedly submitted fraudulent documents in order to receive more than $700,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington and Nevada. --snip-- Three defendants charged...

There are reports this week that Cuba is now talking to the Trump administration about the future of the country. Despite those reports, Cuba seems to be publicly denying the talks are even happening. What's going on here? Here's President Trump yesterday saying "we're talking to the people from Cuba." Trump on Cuba:We’re talking to the people from the highest levels in Cuba. Let’s see what happens.I think we’re going to make a deal with Cuba. pic.twitter.com/R9PEQfKcnm— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 1, 2026There are reports today indicating Cuba has changed its tone toward the US compared to just a few...

WASHINGTON — A Pentagon contractor arrested for allegedly taking classified intelligence — including some sensitive materials about a foreign country — and hoarding it at his Maryland home will remain in custody for the time being, according to a report. US District Chief Judge George Levi Russell III ordered the alleged leaker Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones to remain in custody after one of his defense attorneys acknowledged they weren’t “prepared to move forward” with the hearing in a Baltimore federal courtroom, Politico reported. The IT specialist and former US Navy service member was identified as an alleged leaker in a criminal...

Sanctioned Ilyushin Il-76 follows same flight pattern seen before Maduro's capture in VenezuelaA Russian cargo plane typically used to transfer military equipment landed at a military airfield in Havana Sunday night, echoing flight patterns seen ahead of the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.The U.S.-sanctioned Ilyushin Il-76, operated by Russian state-linked airline Aviacon Zitotrans, was tracked landing at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield, a Cuban military installation roughly 30 miles south of Havana, according to public flight data.Flight-tracking records show the aircraft stopped in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia; Mauritania, Africa; and the Dominican Republic. Each landing would...

During Thursday's cabinet meeting, Donald Trump mentioned that he'd spoken with his little Venezuelan pawn, "acting President" Delcy Rodríguez, and that the call had gone well. We later found out that they talked for a quite a while, at least half an hour, and that both Trump and Marco Rubio were on the phone. The actions that have followed in the few days since sort of give you an idea of exactly how that phone call went down. I'm guessing Trump may have reminded her that there could easily be a "second wave." First of all, Ms. Delcy has dialed...

The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 27 mariners after their Venezuelan-flagged fishing vessel caught fire and sank roughly 500 miles north-northwest of the Galapagos Islands over the weekend, highlighting the role of international cooperation and commercial shipping in remote ocean rescues.

Oklahoma prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Anthony Gonzalez, 24, accusing him of a “heinous” and “cruel” killing of an 18-year-old 7-Eleven clerk and new mother who was working the overnight shift alone. Authorities say Jaedynn Anthony, 18, who had a 1-year-old son, was attacked in October 2024 at a 7-Eleven in Oklahoma City. In a press release issued last week, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office said Gonzalez robbed the store and then stabbed Anthony. “After he had the money in hand, Gonzalez stabbed Jaedynn one time and left the store,” the DA’s office said. Investigators said officers...

A 33 min YouTube show with Stephen Gardner interviewing best-selling author Ralph Pezzullo on his 5-year deep dive into how a foreign actors have infiltrated, corrupted, and stole US elections beginning in 2008! This is a must-watch to get you up to date on what President Trump is facing concerning the corruption throughout the US government. Mr. Pezzullo authored "Stolen Elections-- the Takedown of Democracies Worldwide The interview goes into how Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, China, Russia and various drug cartels collaborated and started stealing elections in the United States and other countries worldwide, earlier than suspected. There is mention of...

Donald Trump said in 2016 to the Republican National Convention, “We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change.” Earlier this month, after the current administration launched a war against Venezuela and ousted—one might say changed the regime of—President Nicolás Maduro, Trump said, “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” U.S.-led regime change in Venezuela seemed to fly in the face of Trump’s prior warnings against regime change wars. But the president’s defenders said this was a different kind of military operation, unlike the Iraq,...