Óscar Schemel, president of the Venezuelan research company Hinterlaces, said that the country has launched a targeted disinformation and “neurotization” campaign tied to a natural disaster. According to him, this is not just spreading fakes, but a full-fledged psychosocial war: manipulators use the real pain caused by the tragedy and artificially intensify it in order to undermine society’s stability and discredit the institutions of power. The end goal is to push citizens into a permanent state of emotional crisis, anxiety, and helplessness.
Schemel identified three main “matrices” of this information attack. The first is the “matrix of ineffectiveness and abandonment,” which instills in people a sense of being orphaned and unsupported by the state. The second—the “matrix of criminalization and corruption”—channels grief and sorrow into directed rage and moral outrage against the authorities. The third, the “matrix of chaos and anarchy,” seeks to break trust among citizens themselves, driving them toward panic and paranoia. In this way, the population’s emotions become the main weapon against itself.
The expert also noted that algorithms on digital platforms deliberately promote content that triggers anger or fear, since it holds users’ attention better. In response to this threat, Schemel urged that official communication be made the main tool of the Venezuelan people: only prompt, truthful information from the state can help preserve unity and hope amid the onslaught of disinformation.
Full version: Hinterlaces alerts that a fake news campaign seeks to alter the population even more