2024-02-12 21:10:19
A medium without a face or clear location is reproducing and publishing false news, in which more than one medium and more than one opinion maker or public servant has fallen.
This is “Rección Nacional News”, a “media” without a website and that bases its informative activity on a X profile (former Twitter) and one from Instagram, where they appear with the user @RNacional_News. Red, black and white are his distinctive colors and his favorite publications are about current events that occur in Colombia, Argentina and El Salvador.
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But they also have another seal: they are regular misinformers and – at least in the last month – they have shared three fake news stories on issues related to the national government, President Gustavo Petro and the Historical Pact.
The most recent was last Thursday, February 8, in the middle of the day of mobilizations called by the president, which he called the “march for decency,” which in the background had the objective of demanding that the Supreme Court of Justice choose the successor to Francisco Barbosa in the Attorney General’s Office, although the government used other pretexts in its elaborate narrative.
As recorded in several videos, the demonstrations in front of the Palace of Justice in the center of Bogotá (the Court’s headquarters) became aggressive and some protesters blocked the exit through the institution’s parking lots.
In that context, “Rección Nacional” published a tweet in which a helicopter is seen flying over the center of Bogotá with the following copy: “Magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice have to flee by helicopter (sic) due to the attack ordered by the government. “The Petrist collectives and militias fail in their COUP D’ÉTAT.”
Given this, media such as Semana Magazine, Telemedellín, Cambio Magazine and La Prensa de Honduras shared the video replicating the information from “National Reaction.” But upon realizing the error, Cambio deleted its publication.
Meanwhile, media outlets such as Kienyke and La Silla Vacía followed up on the information and denied the news with data verifications that determined that the air evacuation did not occur and that although the Police considered this possibility, it was never carried out.
However, President Petro and his allies in Congress have used this fake news as a hobbyhorse to once again criticize the media. This is what House representative David Racero did, adding to this misinformation from “National Reaction” that it was also false that stones had been thrown at the judges: a fact that did happen, but when the robed men left the Palace of Justice in their trucks and escorted by riot police.
Where did “National Reaction News” come from?
The origin of this profile on social networks is a mystery, because in their tweets and publications they are careful to leave traces, such as using hashtags, georeferencing the tweets or posting an email or website.
Its description in X says: “News Agency. Breaking news, detailed analysis, opinion and unmissable videos” preceded by the flags of El Salvador, Argentina and Colombia. And he adds: “Community, freedom, faith, God, Country, family and peace.”
Meanwhile, his Instagram account reads: “CURRENT NEWS | N 24/7” and “SHARE”. There, the photos and videos that circulate are dedicated to proselytizing in favor of candidates from the Democratic Center—such as the current Cali councilor, Andrés Escobar—and against the national government.
Likewise, in On the other hand, he publishes violent messages against the LGBTI community and what he considers “the progressive plague.”
Although the profile does not have names of who directs them, EL COLOMBIANO found that there is a profile in X identified as Valentina Lafaurie, whose description says: “General producer @RNacional_News.” From this profile, there is Valentina’s fixed like to the publications of “National Reaction”.
This profile appears verified and the name is also found on the web portal “Al Poniente” in which she is described as “a lawyer and businesswoman. “Political activist fighting the cultural battle.”
On the other hand, using the You Scan tool this newspaper was able to establish that the @RNacional_News account is mentioned on social networks from 47 countries on the five continents of the world. The first is Colombia with 25,500 mentions, followed by the United States with 6,800, Venezuela with 5,300, Ecuador with 4,300, Argentina 3,700 and Mexico 3,500.
Constant fake news players
In media that are dedicated to tracking false information on social networks, they have ‘caught’ that “National Reaction” is a constant propagator of fake news.
Among the most recent is a publication they made in
Colombia Check verified that the photo they used to support that statement had been published by the then congresswoman on June 21, 2022.
And the most recent was due to the re-election of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, of whom they spread an image with a phrase attributed to him: “Petro, the worst thing that has happened to Colombia and Latin America.” However, the same data verification portal showed that the president did not utter words similar to these in his speeches or in his trills in X.
To read more news about politics, peace, health, justice and current events, visit the Colombia section of EL COLOMBIANO.
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