In partnership with the Russian Global Fact-Checking Network organization, and with the participation of more than 1,500 community journalists from Venezuela, the online seminar «Exchange of Experiences between Russia and Venezuela in the Fight Against Disinformation» was held this Saturday via videoconference. The seminar addressed tools for verifying fake news and dismantling manipulated narratives.
The seminar took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of People’s Power for Communication and Information, where experts from the Russian Global Fact-Checking Network offered a dynamic and engaging presentation, providing contributions and tools that will allow for further strengthening of the organization of think tanks and the Venezuelan people, with the aim of dismantling news stories that seek to instill misinformation in Venezuela.
One of the issues that emerged during the seminar’s debate concerned the need to delve deeper into this topic within the framework of cooperation between Venezuela and Russia, as well as to strengthen support from international movements and legal institutions in order to confront the common enemy.
In his remarks during the seminar’s opening, the Minister of People’s Power for Communication and Information, Freddy Ñáñez, addressed the reality of nations currently experiencing cognitive warfare, including the People’s Republic of China, as well as other countries outside the Western sphere that have chosen a different form of society than that imposed by Western capitalism:
«These countries live under constant attack from cognitive warfare,» argued the Minister, noting that the aim of this warfare is to distort the population’s self-image.
Regarding this reality, he exemplified that Venezuela has demonstrated extraordinary resilience and strength, which “clearly underscores the importance of the work that you, Venezuelan communicators—alternative, community, and digital media—and all of us, as a team, have done,” in a context where Venezuela has been subjected to maximum psychological, informational, and cognitive warfare. Ñáñez reminded everyone that the enemy disguises itself as algorithms, entertainment, and novelty.
This training session on discerning fake news in the digital environments that characterize Venezuela gained relevance given that the Venezuelan and Russian populations find themselves in the midst of “a high-intensity war with a central component in communication and information,” added the Minister.
For his part, the Vice Minister for Communication Management, Simón Elías Arrechider, emphasized that the issue of fake news is fundamental, given that Venezuela is constantly attacked by major international news agencies, which attempt to distort the truth about the country.
In this context, he stressed that the Bolivarian Government’s communication policies are designed to provide the people with the tools they need for effective grassroots organizing. This dynamic process empowers the men and women of the nation to dismantle false narratives:
«How to dismantle fake news, how to recognize fake news—for this purpose, within the framework of the international relations we have established, this Saturday was held a videoconference with the participation of more than 1,500 community communicators nationwide,» as explained Arrechider.
The Russian Global Fact-Checking Network organization is dedicated to debunking fake news and verifying facts. This seminar undoubtedly yielded the development of mechanisms to combat cognitive warfare, and the training process in Venezuela is ongoing to ensure the people have the best tools to debunk fake news.
Arrechider argued that the organization currently being implemented through various channels is aimed at generating mechanisms for the people to respond to the banning of certain social media platforms, specifically the official accounts of the Venezuelan state that present the truth about President Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan people:
“We will give a strong response and continue to denounce this in all forums,” he pointed out while emphasizing that “in the organization of the people and the work methods we are promoting lies the key to defeating the algorithms and those who try to distort our truth and try to censor us”.