Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sparked a wave of criticism Sunday, Nov. 3 after claiming on social media that a large festival in Puerto Rico was part of an anti-Trump and anti-corruption movement.
The congresswoman’s post, made on X (formerly Twitter), referenced an estimated crowd of 50,000 Puerto Ricans at the Festival de la Esperanza as a show of support for the “anti-Trump, anti-corruption Alianza movement.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who has shown strong support for Puerto Rican sovereignty and independence-leaning movements, was quickly fact-checked by the platform’s community notes feature.
The note pointed out that the event, organized by Puerto Rican anti-colonial parties Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana (MVC) and Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP), was focused solely on Puerto Rican colonial elections and had no ties to U.S. political parties.
Critics, including public figures and X users, accused her of using Puerto Rico for political gain, with one user stating she was misrepresenting the island’s political movements for her own agenda.
Among those who weighed in was billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of X, who responded to her post with a simple “lol.”
Musk and Ocasio-Cortez have a history of clashing on various issues, from government regulation to immigration. The congresswoman has previously accused Musk of spreading misinformation, while Musk has publicly doubted her intelligence in past exchanges.
In a follow-up post, Ocasio-Cortez attempted to clarify, stating she hadn’t mentioned Vice President Kamala Harris in her original post.
She argued that it was essential to highlight the political environment in Puerto Rico, where GOP-backed candidates like Jenniffer González, a prominent member of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP), campaign on conservative platforms that oppose figures like MVC’s Juan Dalmau. However, the clarification did little to pacify her critics.
The post, which amassed over 5.7 million views, continues to fuel discussions on social media regarding political representation and U.S.-Puerto Rico relations.
