"The same video was shared July 30, 2024, on X and Instagram. It shows people protesting election officials' declaration that Maduro had won the country's presidential election. Venezuelan politician Tomás Guanipa also shared the footage in a 2024 Instagram post in which he called on the National Electoral Council to publish the presidential election results. A Dominican Republic news outlet also reported on the footage."
"Maduro and wife, Cilia Flores, were both forcibly taken into U.S. custody Jan. 3 and made their first appearance in U.S. federal court Jan. 5, facing charges related to cocaine trafficking. Maduro and Flores each pleaded not guilty. In some parts of the world, Venezuelan expatriates celebrated Maduro's ousting. He led an authoritarian regime for 13 years and declared victory after a 2024 election that international observers described as fraudulent. The country's opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, received about 70% of the vote."
After Nicolás Maduro's capture, social media users rapidly shared videos showing Venezuelans celebrating, but many of the videos predated his arrest and were repurposed. A video posted Jan. 3 by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones received 2 million views and replicated footage originally shared July 30, 2024, showing protests against election officials' declaration of Maduro's victory. Venezuelan politician Tomás Guanipa and a Dominican Republic news outlet previously circulated the footage. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into U.S. custody Jan. 3, charged with cocaine trafficking, and pleaded not guilty in U.S. federal court Jan. 5. Street celebrations were muted in Venezuela, where the vice president assumed interim leadership and citizens feared retaliation.
Read at Poynter
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