McCarthy: 'Communism fails everywhere. Why wouldn't AOC stand for freedom?'

"This is the moment in time, just as when people stood up to take down the Berlin Wall, we should take down this regime [in Cuba] as well," House GOP leader says

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: July 27, 2021 4:23pm

Updated: July 27, 2021 8:46pm

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy criticized New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for saying she's concerned the GOP is "laying the groundwork for regime change" in Cuba in response to the protests taking place in the country.

Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive Democrats, such as Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, have called for an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

"What we need to do is urgently support human rights, the right for free speech, the right for protest, and not try to vaguely allude to the possibility of U.S. intervention and regime change," Ocasio-Cortez said last week.

McCarthy was asked for his reaction to her comments.

"Communism fails everywhere. Why wouldn't AOC stand for freedom? Why wouldn't she stand for those freedom fighters in Cuba? The problem in Cuba is the communist regime," McCarthy said after speaking at a rally for freedom in Cuba held on Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol.

"They're the oppression that harmed, where there's not bread, where there's no vaccines and others, we know that it has failed around the world and it's failing here now. This is the moment in time, just as when people stood up to take down the Berlin Wall, we should take down this regime as well," he added.