Miraflores Denounces New 'Fake News' Aimed at Delegitimizing Venezuelan Government

Venezuelan Government Accuses International Media of Spreading Unverified Claims
In a new episode of what the Venezuelan government terms a "media war" against the country, the official account Miraflores Al Momento—recently created to defend "the truth of Venezuela against fake news campaigns"—denounced as false information published by the British outlet The Guardian. The article alleges, without evidence and based on anonymous sources, that Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge Rodríguez secretly agreed with the United States to remove President Nicolás Maduro.

The article, authored by Aram Roston and published on January 22, 2026, is titled "Delcy Rodríguez assured US cooperation following Maduro's capture." It relies exclusively on testimony from purported "sources involved in high-level discussions," whose identities are not disclosed. The presented narrative suggests that the Rodríguez siblings offered to cooperate with the administration of then-President Donald Trump and with Qatar once Maduro was kidnapped and forcibly extracted from Venezuela.

Allegations of Conspiracy and Contradictions
The Guardian report attempts to construct a narrative of conspiracy and betrayal at the highest level, describing alleged secret communications maintained since the fall of 2025. It claims that even after Maduro's refusal to relinquish power following a call with Trump in November, Delcy Rodríguez continued to convey messages of cooperation to Washington.

However, the information stumbles over its own contradictions. In one paragraph, the "sources" admit that the Rodríguez siblings' alleged offer had a "subtle difference": it did not involve actively collaborating to overthrow Maduro, but only cooperating after the fact. This ambiguity, combined with the complete lack of corroboration from the cited public figures (such as Marco Rubio or Mauricio Claver-Carone, who declined to comment or did not respond), reveals the narrative's total inconsistency.

Miraflores has "categorically" denounced the accumulation of false and malicious news against Acting President Delcy Rodríguez. They stated that these media actions seek "to pave a path justifying aggression against her physical and moral integrity."

Pattern of Disinformation and Altered Media
In a similar vein, on Tuesday, January 20, Miraflores Al Momento denounced the falsity of an image published by U.S. President Donald Trump in which Venezuelan territory appears covered by the American flag.

The image, altered with Artificial Intelligence (AI), shows a map of the Americas where not only Venezuela but also Canada and Greenland appear as U.S. territories. However, the original photo was taken in August 2025 in the Oval Office of the White House, where the U.S. leader met with top European Union (EU) leaders, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Since the invasion and kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, multiple false or misleading news stories have been disseminated. Even on that same day, dozens of fake images of the president in prison clothing or of supposed internal armed uprisings—which turned out not to be true—went viral.

Call for Media Vigilance
The propagation of such articles on social networks and messaging applications, also known as fake news, tends to spread rapidly among users, going viral and gaining apparent legitimacy as they are shared. This can be exploited by ordinary users, but also by actors interested in disseminating these narratives to fuel confusion, hatred, or even incite violent actions.

In the face of shocking news, such as the death of a public figure, it is essential to investigate the origin and authenticity of the facts before sharing information. Fake news often lacks reliable sources, such as interview statements or academic research backed by recognized institutions. The absence of visual evidence or videos can also be an indication of falsehood.