Venezuela is currently facing a wave of protests and election uncertainty, with mounting criticism against its authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro. Deadly protests erupted across the country following the disputed presidential election held on July 28, 2024, which was announced by an electoral authority heavily influenced by Maduro’s allies. The opposition and several Latin American leaders have refused to recognize Maduro’s victory. According to the non-governmental organization Foro Penal, at least 11 people have been killed in the protests, and Venezuelan authorities report nearly 750 arrests.
Against this backdrop, a video showing a massive public gathering with white smoke billowing in the background went viral on social media.
Similar claims can be seen here and here. (Archive link)
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked and found the claim to be false.
De verdad creen q esto es una operación del imperialismo Yankee?
Ver este video impacta,oírlo emociona y acerca.
“De que se van, se van…” pic.twitter.com/U7dbrOyKBx— Jorge Gandini (@jorgegandini) April 20, 2017
Taking this as a cue, we conducted a keyword search and found reports with similar images in The Washington Post and The Atlantic, both dated April 20, 2017.
The Atlantic reported that the video is from April 19, 2017, when hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities to intensify demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro. The march, called the “Mother of All Marches” by organizers, was met with riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets, while some demonstrators threw stones and firebombs. Many students and a member of the National Guard were killed in the clashes.
A YouTube user also shared the video in April 2017, referring to it as the “Mother of All Marches” in Caracas. The description indicated that tens of thousands of anti-Maduro protesters gathered in the capital on April 19, 2017.
Hence, the viral video is an old clip from a 2017 protest and is being falsely shared as recent.
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