AFP is a global news agency that delivers fast, accurate, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world. From conflicts to politics, economics, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology – they cover it all. They also have a Fact Check division which covers their
I’m glad they recently published the article These are the anti-indigenous tweets that Bolivia’s interim president deleted as it means I don’t have to write about the numerous fake tweets being circulated related to the return of democracy to Bolivia.
If I had more time and energy – I’d translate Indianismo, política y religión en Bolivia (2006-2016) as it’s an incredibly insightful article. Or I’d write something on how Evo Morales’ world view relates to the writings of Fausto Reinaga and that this, combined with the views of Álvaro García Linera, Marxist intellectual and Bolivian vice-president, made for policies which no longer cared about democracy.
Alas, I don’t. So instead, I will just cover who’s sharing it…
Eva Golinger: Chavista “Media Personality”, not a Journalist
One of the persons cited in the above AFP article, which even including a screenshot of their original Tweet, is Eva Golinger.
Eva Golinger used to work as legal council for Hugo Chavez, so given this former principal – and that she doesn’t claim to be a journalist – it’s perhaps not surprising that she shows no principle related to truth-telling and does not take the two seconds required to correct their claim after others have pointed it out. According to other’s which have investigated her writings with greater depth then myself, this isn’t the first time that Eva Golinger has promoted a gross misrepresentation of reality.
George Ciccariello-Maher: Chavista Activist with Academic Characteristics
Then there’s George Ciccariello-Maher. This is the “Political Science” Professor (I put this in quotations as after readings his PhD dissertation this doesn’t seem an appropriate title. Comparative Literature, maybe…) who once made news headlines following Russian sock puppets extensively re-tweeting his trolling Chavista messages and the left Twitter after Left-Twitter started harassing him for dating someone much younger than him.
After leaving his position for reasons that have never been clarified, he then got a titular role at one of NYU’s art school and UNAM – the Mexican University whose political science department isn’t credentialed with the state and has longstanding connections with the FARC.
He too posts disinformation and then leaves it up after followers point out it’s falsity.
TeleSUR English: Disinformation, not Journalism
“I dream of a #Bolivia free of Indigenous satanic rites, the city is not for ‘Indians,’ they better go to the highlands or El Chaco,” Senator @JeanineAnez said on her Twitter account about her country where more than 65% of the population is Indigenous. #GolpeDeEstadoBolivia pic.twitter.com/IB6109iGYR
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 13, 2019
Given the long time love affair between Hugo Chavez and Nicholas Maduro and their PSUV with Evo Morales and his MAS, unsurprisingly TeleSUR English too got in on the action. An authentic screen shot of TeleSUR’s inauthentic reporting can be viewed here.
Jacobin, Democratic Socialists of America and Disinformation
I’ve noticed that Jacobin’s editorial line has become significantly more alinged with that with Venezuela as Bhaskar Sunkara started to expand the organization. Branko Marcetic’s article “Why Did Facebook Purge TeleSUR English“, which is passed off as insightful editorial commentary when it is just uninformed braingarbage remixed from RT and Sputnik talking points, was the first indicator for me.
Regardless of their past – here we can see that Jacobin and the Democratic Socialists of America, along with accounts connected to Venezuela’s large coordinated, inauthentic behavior network are all sharing this as well.
Conclusion
So, en toto, who’s spreading anti-Christian disinformation?
Socialists and Bolivarians.