A quick guide compiling all fact-checks and explanations we have published about viral disinformation targeting the Venezuelan political leader.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado will receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 2025, a recognition that comes amid a sustained disinformation campaign against her. For many years—especially since 2024—Machado has been a recurring target of disinformation, rumors, and misleading narratives aimed at eroding her credibility, generating uncertainty about her personal and political situation, and sowing confusion about her image at both national and international levels.
Cazadores de Fake News has documented and fact-checked many of the disinformation cases circulating online, fabricated or decontextualized mainly by government spokespersons, pro-government media, and communicators or content creators aligned with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his administration.
This logbook compiles the main hoaxes, rumors, and false claims spread throughout 2024 and 2025.
2024
March 12, 2024: It is false that María Corina Machado urged people not to recognize the July 28, 2024 elections due to her disqualification. There is no public statement supporting that claim. Her team ruled out both abstention and non-recognition, maintaining an electoral path. Link
March 18, 2024: It is false that Machado threatened a transition “by force.” Propaganda outlets distorted a message in which she called for unity and a democratic, peaceful transition. Edited clips and misleading headlines altered the meaning of her remarks. Link
March 24, 2024: It is false that Corina Yoris (the first candidate proposed after Machado’s disqualification as presidential candidate) posted an insulting tweet against Machado in 2017. The screenshot is a fabrication circulated by pro-government operators. No public record supports its authenticity. Link
March 24, 2024: It is misleading to claim that Machado thanked the imposition of new sanctions “against the people.” Instead, she expressed gratitude for international support aimed at protecting human rights and electoral guarantees amid persecution of Vente Venezuela members. The message was decontextualized to suggest she endorsed broad sanctions. Link
March 26, 2024: It is misleading to claim that Venezuelan journalist Carla Angola said she never supported Machado or preferred that she remain disqualified. The clip is edited to omit that her remark was ironic and part of a criticism directed at certain opposition parties. The full recording shows tone and context absent from the viral cut. Link
March 28, 2024: Claims that the social media activity of Jerry Ostos—recently detained—proves an organic link to Machado are false. An operation using newly created accounts, coordinated posting, and a public-event selfie with Machado was used to fabricate an appearance of closeness, without evidence of a real, long-term connection. Link
April 2, 2024: It is false that Machado negotiated support for Manuel Rosales in exchange for the vice presidency in a future government. Vente Venezuela denied the rumor and maintains its own political path. Link
April 3, 2024: It is false that a negotiation took place that day between Machado and Rosales mediated by Omar Barboza. The rumor, amplified on X by Polianalítica, was debunked through sources close to Machado’s team. Link
April 7, 2024: It is misleading to claim that Machado expressed solidarity with Daniel Noboa over the raid on Mexico’s embassy in Quito. A January 9 post related to the attack on TC Televisión was taken out of context, and on April 7 she referred instead to the Vienna Convention’s principles on diplomatic inviolability. Link
April 8, 2024: It is false that a recent leaked audio captures Machado calling for new sanctions. The clip is from October 2018 and was shared by Yván Gil, edited and framed as new. Link
April 28, 2024: It is false that Machado showed “disgust” while greeting a supporter. The image is a digital manipulation inserted into a video. Link
May 4, 2024: It is false that Venezuela’s government-aligned TV program “Con el Mazo Dando” revealed “new” evidence against Machado. The show actually recycled several previously debunked fabrications—including the altered “facial expression”—to attack her on state broadcaster Venezolana de Televisión. Link
May 11, 2024: It is false that Venevisión tv channel aired a video of a supposed “cellphone farm” run by Vente Venezuela and raided by the Sebin. The footage is unrelated to Machado and corresponds to an art installation by Chinese artist Zhang Mingxin displayed in Nanyang in September 2023. Link
May 20, 2024: It is false that Machado received USD 3.2 million for her campaign, as Brazilian journalist Patrícia Lélis claimed. The documents presented show signs of manipulation and inconsistencies. Link
June 4, 2024: It is false that Machado held a U.S. flag at a rally. The image is digitally altered to replace Venezuela’s flag. Link
June 4, 2024: It is false that Machado promoted the use of U.S. flags during her event in Cabudare, Venezuela. The video is real, but individuals carrying the flags were removed by attendees within seconds. One participant was linked to the Free Alex Saab movement (a pro-government propaganda collective), reinforcing that the symbol was not endorsed organically. Link
June 11, 2024: It is false that Machado asked Benjamin Netanyahu to invade Venezuela or “kill all chavistas.” A 2018 letter was reused to fabricate a claim not reflected in the text, which requested diplomatic actions, not military ones. Link
June 12, 2024: It is misleading to claim that pollster Luis Vicente León “debunked” Machado’s mobilizations. His statements referred to abstention and triumphalism, and were edited to question rally size. The full context changes the meaning. Link
June 13, 2024: It is not true that “the people of Nueva Esparta” shouted “asesina” (“murderer”) and “vendepatria” (“unpatriotic traitor”) at María Corina Machado. The individual yelling was identified as PSUV member José Daniel Marcano. Facial recognition confirmed his identity and role in the 1×10 del Buen Gobierno, a government assistance program promoted by Nicolás Maduro’s administration. Link
June 13, 2024: It is false that the head of U.S. Southern Command threatened an “immediate response” if Machado were harmed. There is no official statement supporting the viral quote. Link
June 22, 2024: It is false that Machado gave a lecture promoting privatizations. The video uses a green-screen overlay on footage from a June 15 meeting with Red Forma, an institute for political and social studies in Venezuela. In the original recording, the whiteboard is blank and the speech matches the authentic material from minute 20:12 onward. Link
June 22, 2024: It is false that Machado proposed eliminating the Armed Forces (FANB), DGCIM or CICPC. Manipulated screenshots shared by a high-ranking military official show a fake whiteboard. Coordinated amplification by military accounts was detected (Batallón 3.0, a digital Information Operation linked to Bolivarian National Armed Forces). Link
June 23, 2024: It is false that Jorge Rodríguez praised Machado’s mobilizations. An audio clip was edited to repurpose comments he made about pro-government rallies. Link
June 23, 2024: Update on the fake whiteboard case. A tweet from the Operational Strategic Command of the Venezuelan Armed Forces (CEOFANB) with manipulated content received massive amplification. The authentic June 15 material contradicts the privatization narrative. Link
June 26, 2024: It is false that Machado was booed on a beach in Margarita. The video shows the rejection of the tourism minister—Diosdado Cabello’s wife—in August 2015. Link
June 27, 2024: It is false that Machado supported an attempted coup in Bolivia in 2024. The video is from October 2019, in the context of fraud allegations and protests, and was reused in 2024. Link
June 28, 2024: It is false that Machado climbed a light pole in San Carlos. The woman in the photo is not her; the image has circulated since 2020. Link
June 29, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado called for an insurrection ahead of July 28. The video being circulated is from 2018 and is being used to attribute a message she did not make in 2024. The original date and context were verified. Link
June 30, 2024: It is not true that a video about “attacks by security forces” depicts a recent event. The clip of María Corina Machado is from 2017 and denounces “state terrorism” in a housing complex in western Caracas. Its origin was verified. Link
July 2, 2024: It is not true that Wayuu Indigenous people marched in support of María Corina Machado. The viral video corresponds to the 24th assembly of the Xucuru people in Brazil, held between May 17 and 20, 2024. The event, location, and organizers were identified. Link
July 5, 2024: It is not true that the “Comanditos” of Vente Venezuela, the party led by María Corina Machado, are asking for money through flyers with bank account numbers. Fake flyers are being used to request deposits and were spread on X by a network of troll accounts. The genuine material asks for donations of water and sealed food and does not include bank account details or wallets. Link
July 6, 2024: It is not true that a “fake” video about Edmundo González’s campaign launch was published and attributed to the ticket with María Corina Machado. The video in question is from 2019 and was already online days before the formal start of the campaign. Its earlier date and motivational purpose were demonstrated. Link
July 10, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado asked to orchestrate a plan without public services in order to “win and collect.” A decontextualized fragment—already debunked in 2023—is being recycled, distorting an analogy about political negotiation. The manipulation of the clip was established. Link
July 13, 2024: It is false that Machado and González suffered an attack in Valencia. The rumor originated from a tweet posted at 3:27 p.m. and deleted minutes later. At 4:05 p.m., Machado’s account reported no incident. Link
July 14, 2024: It is not true that the large turnout for the González–Machado event in Valencia was “fictitious.” Old photos and videos—or footage from other locations—were used to cast doubt, despite abundant video evidence of a massive turnout. It was a counternarrative built on decontextualized material. Link
July 14, 2024: It is false that deputies of the legitimate National Assembly supported Nicolás Maduro and rejected María Corina Machado. The rumor emerged after the National Assembly’s website was hacked. The cyber incident was reported, and the commitment to the Unitary Platform and the candidacy of Edmundo González was reaffirmed. Link
July 16, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado called anyone who votes for Nicolás Maduro “minimally intelligent” in a statement to El Clarín. The piece is an impersonation of the Argentine outlet. It was demonstrated that Machado has not given interviews to that newspaper since 2023 and that the attributed article does not exist. Link
July 17, 2024: It is false that María Corina Machado’s rally in Portuguesa was suspended. A fake cancellation notice circulated. The event was confirmed to start at 3:00 p.m., with Machado present and Edmundo González absent due to medical rest. Link
July 17, 2024: It is false that María Corina Machado said that no public official should be forgiven. A video was edited to overlay the 2017 voice of journalist Patricia Poleo onto the footage. The audio substitution and the decontextualization of the material were identified. Link
July 22, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado “invented” the attack she suffered in 2011 at the 23 de Enero parish. The attack was reconstructed using digital forensic evidence and witness accounts. The attacker visible in a photograph was identified as Heiker Vásquez, a leader of a chavista colectivo who was later killed in the El Junquito operation in which Óscar Pérez was assassinated. Link
July 24, 2024: It is false that Manuel Rosales did not attend the unity rally in Maracaibo. There are images showing Rosales alongside Edmundo González and María Corina Machado at the July 23 event. This debunks the claim intended to undermine support for the opposition coalition. Link
July 24, 2024: It is not true that a video shows low attendance at the González–Machado rally in Maracaibo. The drone shot being circulated corresponds to a different location and was recorded more than an hour before the leaders arrived. It was confirmed that the event was massive. Link
July 27, 2024: The alleged mass-layoff document supposedly signed by María Corina Machado, Edmundo González, and José Guerra is false. Vectorized signatures of Machado and González taken from the web were detected, along with a generic scribble attributed to Guerra. It is a forgery. Link
July 28, 2024: Day of the presidential elections (Milestone).
July 29, 2024: It is false that María Corina Machado asked her supporters to go home on the night of July 28. At 10:27 p.m., she posted a message urging people to remain at the polling stations until the votes were counted and the tally sheets obtained. This disproves the attribution that sought to demobilize her supporters. Link
July 29, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado called a press conference on July 29 at 12:00 p.m. The invitation being circulated is decontextualized. It corresponds to January 29, 2024, and that event already took place. Link
July 30, 2024: It is false that the TikTok account Vente Joven called for «getting rid of» chavista supporters. There was no call to violence by members of Vente Venezuela, and an incitement that never existed was attributed to them. Link
August 3, 2024: The mobilization called by María Corina Machado was not canceled. On her official account on X, Comando Con Venezuela announced that the nationwide call scheduled for Saturday, August 3, 2024, starting at 10:00 a.m., would take place in all states. Link
August 6, 2024: It is not true that a video refers to a kidnapping attempt against María Corina Machado by Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin). The footage corresponds to a Sebin raid on the home of Leopoldo López in Caracas in May 2019 and has no connection to the opposition leader. Link
August 15, 2024: It is false that WhatsApp handed over “the entire database of Venezuela” to María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia. End-to-end encryption and privacy policies prevent access to messages and content databases. Link
August 21, 2024: It is not true that a recent video shows María Corina Machado speaking about a bolas criollas (bocce ball) tournament. The clip is from September 2023 and is circulating decontextualized to suggest current positions. Link
September 2, 2024: It is not true that the video shows María Corina Machado planning to sabotage public services. The phrase corresponds to an analogy used in 2021 to explain incentives and political pressure during the Mexico talks, and it was shared in a cropped version. Link
September 2, 2024: It is false that María Corina Machado denounced an alleged bribery attempt against Edmundo González by Nicolás Maduro. There is no credible record of such a statement, and it was denied by the communications team of Comando Con Vzla. Link
September 4, 2024: It is false that a video excerpt featuring María Corina Machado is authentic. It is a deepfake with mismatched lip movements, abnormal blinking, and incorrect accentuation. In the clip, Machado appears to criticize an alleged kiss between Nicolás Maduro and singer Servando Primera —which is also a deepfake. Link
September 12, 2024: It is false that Edmundo González fled from María Corina Machado because he “did not want more violence.” He went into exile in Spain due to an arrest warrant issued during the repression and continues publicly supporting Machado. Link
September 28, 2024: It is false that María Corina Machado is the leader of “Ya Casi Venezuela.” A video of Iván Simonovis was used out of context. Leadership of that initiative is attributed to Erik Prince, not Machado. Link
October 1, 2024: It is false that María Corina Machado left Venezuela. The narrative was pushed by pro-government spokespersons due to her low public visibility during those days and lacks verifiable evidence. Link
October 2, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado was escorted by motorcyclists at the September 28 rally. The video used as “evidence” was recorded on July 28 during her tour of polling centers in Caracas while she was in a clandestine situation. Link
October 4, 2024: It is not true that any opposition leader, including María Corina Machado, requested that Benjamin Netanyahu authorize a military intervention by Israel in Venezuela. The 2018 letter mentions diplomatic actions before the UN Security Council and does not request intervention. Link
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October 10, 2024: It is false that María Corina Machado is the leader of “Ya Casi Venezuela.” A manipulated video of Iván Simonovis was reused. In the original material, Machado’s political role is clearly separate, and it specifies that the leader of “Ya Casi Venezuela” is Erik Prince. Link
October 10, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado asked Israel to invade Venezuela or that she admitted to a plan to sabotage public services. “Amenaza creíble” (“credible threat”) is a 2019 expression used in a different context. “Le cortas el agua, le cortas la luz” (“you cut off the water, you cut off the electricity”) is a 2021 analogy about negotiation. The 2018 letter to Macri and Netanyahu requests actions before the UN and does not contemplate intervention. Link
October 12, 2024: It is false that a birthday video with a cake reading “gracias por decepcionarnos” (“thanks for disappointing us”) refers to María Corina Machado or her base of support. The piece is part of a covert propaganda operation aimed at demoralizing the opposition. Link
October 20, 2024: It is not true that the “Gadsden flag” engraved on a seized weapon proves a connection between María Corina Machado and the CIA or extremist groups. That symbol is used in various contexts and does not establish any link with the opposition leader. Link
November 19, 2024: It is false that Comando Con Venezuela promoted a private event in Miami with Edmundo González and María Corina Machado, with tickets costing up to 10,000 US dollars. The viral invitation is fake and was denied by communications teams. Link
December 1, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado is linked to the alleged terrorist plot known as “No a la Navidad” (“No to Christmas”). The allegation lacks verifiable evidence and recycles some earlier disinformation. Link
December 3, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado said the opposition would take office on January 10 «by blood and fire». A manipulated video alters a November 22 interview to construct a violent attribution. Link
December 3, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado marched on December 1. The video circulated corresponds to a June 28 rally in San Cristóbal and was used as if it were recent. Link
December 11, 2024: It is false that real photos exist showing María Corina Machado and Edmundo González posing with weapons. The images were generated with X’s new AI image creator and do not document real events. Link
December 24, 2024: A coordinated campaign circulated portraying María Corina Machado as promoting violence and disloyalty, relying on manipulated pieces and out-of-context messages. Synchronized dissemination was documented, aimed at damaging her public image. Link
December 27, 2024: It is not true that María Corina Machado “invented” the attack she suffered in 2011 at the 23 de Enero parish. The attack was real and widely documented. The “staged” version is based on out-of-context fragments that have been recycled for years. Link
2025
January 11, 2025: It is false that Donald Trump did not send a message of support to María Corina Machado for her participation in the January 9 call to action. Contents from Truth Social were used to amplify the endorsement, and it did not appear as a native post on X. Link
January 13, 2025: It is not true that Venezuelan media reported that a sniper on the rooftop of the Centro Perú building was linked to Vente Venezuela and positioned there to attack María Corina Machado. A video based on a fake article attributed to Monitoreamos was circulated. The conspiracy theory was dismantled due to the nonexistence of the original text and the lack of evidence. Link
January 15, 2025: It is not true that María Corina Machado congratulated Voluntad Popular in January 2025 for joining the Socialist International. The post cited is from December 2014. It was decontextualized to fabricate a current stance. Link
January 16, 2025: It is false that María Corina Machado asked the United States to bomb Venezuela “like in Syria.” The hoax recycles and distorts a 2018 post about the attack on Syria to impose a military-intervention narrative absent from her statements. Link
January 16, 2025: It is not true that a “Monitoreamos” screenshot proves that María Corina Machado organized a “false flag” sniper incident on January 9. The capture corresponds to a non-existent article and was used to sustain a fabricated accusation. Link
January 16, 2025: It is not true that Donald Trump’s support for María Corina Machado and Edmundo González was based on an unofficial account to simulate endorsement. The message is real: it came from Truth Social and was publicly cited. An attempt was made to discredit its origin to undermine the support. Link
January 22, 2025: It is false that María Corina Machado posted on X a message of condolences for Wilexis Acevedo. The image circulating is a digital manipulation. She has not published anything referring to that person as a militant or example. Link
January 22, 2025: It is not true that either María Corina Machado or Comando Con Vzla published condolences for Wilexis Acevedo. Attempts were made to link her to “Wilexis Petare,” but no statements or recent posts were found. Link
January 28, 2025: It is not true that a video of María Corina Machado shared on January 9 proves she was not kidnapped that day or that it serves as evidence of a “staged” incident orchestrated by her. An investigation by La Hora de Venezuela confirmed that she was indeed detained that day by security forces and later released. Link
March 19, 2025: It is not true that María Corina Machado supported harsh treatment of Venezuelan migrants sent to El Salvador. Her remarks were manipulated and referred to criminals associated with the Tren de Aragua, not to migrants in general. Link
May 17, 2025: It is not true that a “pact” between María Corina Machado and Donald Trump Jr. was published on Tech Bullion. The text was distributed through content-distribution services and removed for failing standards. A similar strategy was identified in 2022 to insert narratives. Link
June 28, 2025: It is false that María Corina Machado asked to bomb Caracas. In the interview cited, she made no call for military actions, and the outlets covering it did not include such statements. Link
August 23, 2025: It is not true that María Corina Machado addressed the FANB during U.S. naval operations. The video is edited and corresponds to a July 2025 Independence Day message. It was decontextualized to associate it with different events. Link
August 26, 2025: It is not true that María Corina Machado asked for an invasion during a Fox News interview. Her comments about reward mechanisms to capture Nicolás Maduro and about the U.S. anti-drug naval deployment were cited in isolation to build a narrative of intervention that she did not propose. Link
October 6, 2025: It is not true that María Corina Machado “invented” the attack she suffered in 2011 at the 23 de Enero parish. The attack was real and documented. The “staged” version stems from a decontextualized private conversation and has been recycled for years to discredit her. Link
11 October 2025: It is misleading to claim that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “betrayed” Donald Trump by supporting María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination. The letter used as “proof” was signed in August 2024, when Rubio was still a senator and Trump had not yet been elected president, and is being exploited by pro-government media to delegitimize the prize and suggest divisions in Republican ranks. Link
12 October 2025: A supposed poll by the low-credibility firm Data Viva is being used to claim that 84% of Venezuelans reject María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize. The survey, which has serious methodological problems and a record of favoring Nicolás Maduro’s government, is being amplified by officialist media and networks to portray the award as unpopular and reinforce narratives that Machado lacks support and promotes violence. Link
14 October 2025: It is not true that María Corina Machado said she would “go after chavistas the day after an invasion.” A segment of an interview with Infobae was taken out of context to present her as planning a witch hunt against chavistas, when in reality she referred to how a future government would handle potential groups seeking to destabilize Venezuela. Link
4 November 2025: It is false that María Corina Machado attacked fans who attended the Caracas–Magallanes baseball game at the Simón Bolívar Monumental Stadium and said they would “pay for their irreverence and unconsciousness.” No trace of such statements was found in her social media or in her recent interviews, despite a viral video that attributes the quote to her. Link
17 November 2025: It is false that María Corina Machado announced an imminent military attack on the Simón Bolívar Monumental Stadium and other places allegedly full of “regime collaborators.” The supposed communiqué only appears in a viral video and does not exist in her recent public statements or on her social media, but is being used to feed a narrative that links her to threats against entertainment events at the stadium. Link
20 November 2025: It is false that María Corina Machado issued a communiqué stating that she had left Venezuela to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and then continue her struggle from exile. The text only appears in a manipulated video and does not appear on her social media or in her recent public remarks, where her only post on 18 November was the “Manifesto for Freedom” outlining the pillars of the future Venezuela she envisions. Link
Cazadores de Fake News investiga a detalle cada caso, mediante la búsqueda y el hallazgo de evidencias forenses digitales en fuentes abiertas. En algunos casos, se usan datos no disponibles en fuentes abiertas con el objetivo de reorientar las investigaciones o recolectar más evidencias.
