Deceptive content is circulating on social networks, assigning decontextualized videos or images of previous incidents, unrelated to the double earthquake that affected Venezuela on Wednesday, a common pattern after disasters.
© Diko Betancourt/Anadolu via Getty Images
27/06/2026
by
Lusa
ANDamong the publications are videos and images of alleged explosions, tsunamis, collapses of buildings and damage to infrastructure as a result of the earthquake, which, according to EFE Verifica, have no relation to the disaster in Venezuela.
One of the most shared videos, with over 400,000 views on Google, shows an alleged explosion in Caracas Metro caused by the earthquake of june 24, but the recording actually corresponds to an explosion occurred in 2021 due to a failure in the Caracas metro system.
An old video of a large burst water pipe in the neighborhood El Cafetal in Caracas, presented as if it had been caused by the double earthquake, but in reality, although the images correspond to El Cafetal, the incident occurred at the end of may, due to the rupture of a 72-inch main water pipe.
A video is also circulating on social networks showing a tsunami that has hit La Guaira (the area most affected by earthquakes), but it's actually a tsunami that hit Japan in 2011, not Venezuela.
These cases show a frequent pattern after natural disasters, since, in the absence of images from such a recent event, the need to illustrate the tragedy leads to the spread of shocking material, often real but decontextualized.
The two major earthquakes that were registered in Venezuela on Wednesday caused at least 929 deaths and 3,360 wounded, according to the latest official report.
Among the dead, there are at least 28 Portuguese and Portuguese descendants, and another 85 are missing.
According to the UN, over 50,000 people are missing.
Portugal and seven other European Union countries will send search and rescue teams to Venezuela.
The earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 occurred 200 kilometers from Caracas, less than a minute apart and were followed by more than 20 replicas, according to the United States Geological Service.
Dozens of buildings collapsed or were severely damaged in the capital Caracas and La Guaira, one of the most affected.