It should be noted that what is seen in the viral video is not exactly Miraflores, but a nearby point, between the corners of Carmelitas and Santa Capilla. We have not found evidence that these are images prior to 2024, but at least as of Tuesday, August 13, there were no metal barriers of this type either in Miraflores or at this nearby point.
Text: Alexis Correia
A nighttime video that went viral on social media on August 12, 2024 shows the installation of a metal barrier not exactly at the Miraflores Palace, but in a nearby location in downtown Caracas (Urdaneta Avenue, corners of Carmelitas and Santa Capilla, between the Central Bank of Venezuela and the former headquarters of the General Archive of the Nation, currently a historical monument).
The anonymous video also circulated on WhatsApp and sparked intense debate about an alleged “entrenchment” of Nicolás Maduro in the headquarters of the Executive Branch, in the midst of the wave of repression that followed the elections of July 28, 2024. On X and Instagram, the images were replicated by influencers such as Eduardo Menoni, Ángel García Banchs, Marko Comedia, Javier Hala Madrid or Reacción Nacional.
We reverse searched these images on Google and found no evidence that this is a video from before 2024. It was likely recorded before or after the events of July 28, but we have not been able to pinpoint an exact date. Efecto Cocuyo followed a similar procedure, without results: “The presence of barriers and security measures in Miraflores is a common practice for government events and does not indicate a new emergency situation,” it was stated on that website.
*Read also: Maduro compares protests to Nazism and says it was an attempt to seize power
What we can be sure of is that, at least on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 13, there were no metal barricades of this type (nor any trace of them) either in Miraflores or at this point near the palace (corners of Santa Capilla and Carmelitas), where transportation was flowing normally. The EsPaja.com team took a photo at 4:30 pm from the corner of Santa Capilla in the direction of Carmelitas:
At least on the date indicated, it is false that a metal barrier was placed on the road to Miraflores, and if it was there on a nearby date, it was not left there permanently.
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