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Fact-Checkers Expose AI Fakes of Maduro Capture as Original Poster Admits Using Google Tool

The latest debunks underscore how false visuals outpaced verification, with detection tools yielding inconsistent results.

Overview

  • Snopes ruled a widely shared photo of Nicolás Maduro in a bloodied white shirt to be fabricated, citing visual inconsistencies typical of AI generation.
  • Full Fact determined that an image purporting to show Maduro being led from a plane was AI-made, noting a Google SynthID watermark and expert confirmation from Hany Farid.
  • The creator of a viral image told AFP he used Google’s Gemini (Nano Banana Pro) to generate the picture, said he cropped out a watermark, and posted it on X before it spread widely.
  • NewsGuard data cited by the Chicago Tribune found at least seven falsified or out-of-context visuals amassed more than 14.1 million views on X in under two days.
  • A slick AI video titled “Maduro’s Downfall” dramatized a fictional raid, while official images posted by the White House and President Donald Trump showed different scenes, including Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima.