NewsTelemundo 51 Miami – MainJune 30, 2026Miami-Dade
Fact Check: Debunking False Videos of the Venezuela Earthquakes
Following recent earthquakes in Venezuela, social media users have circulated several videos falsely claiming to show the destruction. Fact-checkers have confirmed that these videos are either old footage from other countries or unrelated events taken out of context.
Read the full story at Telemundo 51 Miami – MainWhy It Matters
The spread of misinformation regarding the earthquake disaster complicates public understanding of the event, which has resulted in over 2,000 deaths and nearly 70,000 missing persons.
Key Facts
- Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela on June 24.
- The earthquakes resulted in over 2,000 deaths and approximately 70,000 missing persons.
- A magnitude 4.6 aftershock was recorded on June 29.
- A viral video of a white building collapsing is actually footage of a 2023 demolition in Turkey.
- A video claiming to show a mother protecting her child during the Venezuela earthquake is old footage from at least 2025.
- A video of an orange building collapsing is footage from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey in February 2023.
- Claims that Lucas Gámez was rescued from rubble on June 28 are false; his mother confirmed he remains missing.
- A video showing laser beams in the sky, claimed to be linked to the earthquake, has been circulating online since at least March.
Who's Mentioned
locationVenezuela“The country affected by the earthquakes.”organizationThe Guardian“Media outlet that previously reported on the Turkey earthquake footage.”organizationPolitiFact“Fact-checking organization that verified the claims.”locationCaracas“City near the epicenter of the earthquakes.”personLucas Gámez“A child reported missing in La Guaira; false claims of his rescue circulated onl”organizationObservatorio Venezolano de Fake News“Fact-checking organization that identified out-of-context videos.”