In their words
“En lo que va de 2026 acumulamos 170 violaciones”
Espacio Público · reported by Runrunes · Sep 12, 2026
“Instagram suspendió su cuenta el 26 de julio por denuncias fraudulentas de infracción de derechos de autor”
El Nacional · reported by Runrunes · Sep 12, 2026
“Con un tono agresivo me dice que le entregue el teléfono”
Deisy Martínez · reported by Espacio Publico Venezuela · Sep 11, 2026
What the sources establish, claim by claim
- Statement by Espacio Público · carried by 4 outletsEspacio Público recorded 170 violations of freedom of expression between January and August 2026Only Espacio Público states it in its bulletin; the four outlets reproduce it without their own evidence.▲ 47,65 % — denominador no reportado en la cobertura; representatividad no declarada▲ 25,29% — denominador no reportado en la cobertura; representatividad no declaradaRefers to: entre enero y agosto de este año · published Sep 11, 2026Correo del Caroní · El Impulso Venezuela · Espacio Publico Venezuela · Runrunes — “En lo que va de 2026 acumulamos 170 violaciones”
- Statement by Espacio Público · carried by 4 outletsEspacio Público registered at least 3 cases and 6 violations of freedom of expression in August in VenezuelaFigure attributed to Espacio Público's monthly bulletin; the universe of cases for the month is not reported.▲ 66,67 % — denominador no reportado en la cobertura; representatividad no declaradaRefers to: durante el pasado mes de agosto · published Sep 11, 2026Correo del Caroní · Espacio Publico Venezuela · Runrunes · Tal Cual — “en Venezuela se registraron al menos 3 casos y 6 violaciones a la libertad de expresión durante el pasado mes de agosto”
- Statement by Espacio Público · carried by 3 outletsConatel keeps more than 60 digital media outlets blocked by administrative means without a judicial decision or possibility of appealOnly Espacio Público states it; the list of outlets and the administrative resolutions are not detailed.El Impulso Venezuela · Runrunes · Tal Cual — “más de 60 medios digitales siguen bloqueados por Conatel por vía administrativa, sin decisión judicial ni posibilidad de apelación”
- Statement by Espacio Público · carried by 3 outletssaid with reservations Instagram suspended El Nacional's account on July 26 due to fraudulent complaints of copyright infringement — El NacionalRefers to: el 26 de julio · published Sep 12, 2026El Impulso Venezuela · Runrunes · Tal Cual — “Instagram suspendió su cuenta el 26 de julio por denuncias fraudulentas de infracción de derechos de autor”
- Statement by Espacio Público · carried by 2 outletsunidentified officials surrounded, threatened and forced an Efecto Cocuyo journalist to delete all the audiovisual material she had recordedCorreo del Caroní · El Impulso Venezuela — “funcionarios sin identificación la acorralaron, amenazaron y obligaron a borrar todo el material audiovisual que había registrado”
- Statement by Espacio Público · carried by 2 outletsGobierno interino de Venezuela does not publish data on the impact of the June earthquakes or on electricity restoration plansRunrunes · Tal Cual — “el Gobierno interino de Venezuela sigue en opacidad al no publicar datos sobre el impacto de los terremotos del pasado junio y sobre los planes de restablecimiento del sistema eléctrico”
- Statement by Espacio PúblicoManuel Sánchez was sentenced in November to ten years in prisonRefers to: en noviembre · published Sep 11, 2026Espacio Publico Venezuela — “en noviembre fue condenado a diez años de prisión”
- Statement by Espacio Públicohospitals deny access to independent media, at 60%▲ 60% — denominador no reportado en la cobertura; representatividad no declaradaCorreo del Caroní — “Un 60% de los hospitales deniega el acceso a medios independientes”
- Statement by Espacio Público“Renny González, habitante de Maracaibo, cumplió dos años en detención arbitraria”Refers to: El 12 de agosto · published Sep 11, 2026Espacio Publico Venezuela
- Statement by Espacio PúblicoEspacio Público counted at least 107 violations of the right to inform so far this yearRefers to: en lo que va del año · published Sep 13, 2026El Impulso Venezuela — “en lo que va del año se contabilizan al menos 107 violaciones al derecho a informar”
- Statement by Espacio Públicohospitals keep under reserve emergency purchases and budget allocations, at 90%▲ 90% — denominador no reportado en la cobertura; representatividad no declaradaCorreo del Caroní — “el 90% mantiene bajo reserva las compras de emergencia y asignaciones presupuestarias”
- Statement by Espacio Públicovictims identified were five journalists or reportersTal Cual — “Las cinco víctimas identificadas por Espacio Público fueron periodistas o reporteros”
- Statement by Espacio Público“la renovación completa del Tribunal Supremo de Justicia y la recuperación de los activos venezolanos retenidos en el Banco de Inglaterra para atender a los afectados por los terremotos del 24 de junio”Refers to: El 12 de agosto · published Sep 11, 2026Espacio Publico Venezuela
- Statement by Espacio Públicohealth personnel admit fear to report the situation due to intimidation, at 70%▲ 70% — denominador no reportado en la cobertura; representatividad no declaradaRefers to: el 17 de agosto · published Sep 13, 2026Correo del Caroní — “el 70% del personal sanitario admite temor a reportar la situación por amedrentamiento”
- Statement by Espacio Público“entre los 104 victimarios los cuerpos de seguridad concentran casi la mitad (50,48,08 %)”▲ 48.08% = 50 of 104 victimarios — representatividad no declaradaRefers to: En lo que va de 2026 · published Sep 12, 2026Runrunes
- Statement by Espacio PúblicoDeisy Martínez said an official told her aggressively to hand over her phone — Deisy MartínezEspacio Publico Venezuela — “Con un tono agresivo me dice que le entregue el teléfono”
Audit of the source's figures
- “50,48,08 % / 50, 48,08%” is not a valid number (it appears in 5 reports). The reading that adds up: 50 of 104 victimarios = 48.08%. Anomaly in the source text.
- “20,19,23 % / 20, 19,23%” is not a valid number (it appears in 5 reports). The reading that adds up: 20 of 104 victimarios = 19.23%. Anomaly in the source text.
- 70 of 122 víctimas = 57.38%: the figure matches its total.
Who covers it, and from which chair
| Outlet | Chair | Date | Contributes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espacio Publico Venezuela | voice (B) | Sep 11, 2026 | own publication — Adds detail on cases such as the detention of Manuel Sánchez, that of Renny González and the agreements announced on August 12. |
| Runrunes | voice (B) | Sep 12, 2026 | reproduces Espacio Público — Reproduces Espacio Público's bulletin and adds the breakdown of perpetrators: 50 of 104 are security forces. |
| Tal Cual | voice (B) | Sep 12, 2026 | reproduces Espacio Público — Reproduces the bulletin and specifies that the five identified victims were journalists or reporters. |
| El Impulso Venezuela | voice (B) | Sep 13, 2026 | reproduces Espacio Público — Reproduces the bulletin and adds the count of at least 107 violations of the right to inform so far this year. |
| Correo del Caroní | voice (B) | Sep 13, 2026 | reproduces Espacio Público — Reproduces the bulletin and adds data on media access to hospitals and reserve of emergency purchases. |
5 pieces · 5 outlets · Distinct evidence origins: 1
Event timeline
- Jul 26, 2026 · Instagram suspended El Nacional's account over fraudulent copyright infringement complaints, according to the outlet's complaint. [4]
- Aug 6, 2026 · An Efecto Cocuyo journalist was surrounded, threatened and forced to delete audiovisual material while covering the installation of the dialogue table in La Carlota. [5]
- Aug 12, 2026 · Renny González completed two years in arbitrary detention and the parties announced agreements on the Supreme Court of Justice and assets held at the Bank of England. [9] [13]
- Sep 11, 2026 · Espacio Público published its bulletin with the accumulated 170 violations between January and August 2026. [1]
The primary source, measured: Espacio Publico Venezuela
| Chair | voice — can carry a piece |
| Reliability | B |
| Byline | unsigned |
How we will know if it is true
- Before Nov 12, 2026
A document from Espacio Público's own bulletin or from an independent source showing that the count of violations between January and August 2026 was not 170. [1]
Where to look: Espacio Público bulletins and publications and records of human rights organizations. · Status: pending - Before Nov 12, 2026
An administrative or judicial resolution showing that the more than 60 digital media outlets were not blocked by Conatel during the reported period. [3]
Where to look: Resolutions from Conatel or the Venezuelan judicial system. · Status: pending - Before Nov 12, 2026
A statement from Instagram or El Nacional showing that the account was not suspended on July 26 due to copyright infringement complaints. [4]
Where to look: Official statements from Instagram or El Nacional. · Status: pending
Declared in advance. If one fails, this piece is corrected and says so at the top.
What to watch
- Before Oct 15, 2026
Publication of Espacio Público's next monthly bulletin with the updated count of violations of freedom of expression. [1]
Where to look: Espacio Público's official channels. - Before Dec 12, 2026
Unblocking or new suspension of digital media outlets by Conatel. [3]
Where to look: Monitoring of access to Venezuelan digital media websites. - Before Dec 12, 2026
Publication of official data on the impact of the June earthquakes or on electrical restoration. [6]
Where to look: Statements from the interim Government and official agencies.
Still to verify
- Obtain Espacio Público's full monthly bulletin with the methodology for the count of the 170 violations.
- Request from Conatel the list of blocked digital media outlets and the administrative basis for each block.
- Ask El Nacional for the documentation of its account suspension and the platform's response.
- The methodology and case universe with which Espacio Público counts the violations.
- The response of Conatel or the interim Government to the figures presented.
Open questions
- Will Conatel or the interim Government issue an official response about the more than 60 digital media outlets still blocked through administrative channels?
Arises from: Conatel keeps more than 60 digital media outlets blocked by administrative means without a judicial decision or possibility of appeal - Will Espacio Público provide the methodology and denominator for the percentages of intimidation (47.65%) and censorship (25.29%) it attributes to the 170 violations?
Some percentages have no reported sample size or denominator in any coverage. - Will Instagram or El Nacional confirm the date and causes of the suspension of the outlet's account on July 26?
Arises from: Instagram suspended El Nacional's account on July 26 due to fraudulent complaints of copyright infringement - Will the interim Government publish data on the impact of the June earthquakes and on the electrical restoration plans, as Espacio Público demands?
Arises from: Gobierno interino de Venezuela does not publish data on the impact of the June earthquakes or on electricity restoration plans
What other outlets report and is missing from Runrunes
- unidentified officials surrounded, threatened and forced an Efecto Cocuyo journalist to delete all the audiovisual material she had recorded — Correo del Caroní · El Impulso Venezuela
- Manuel Sánchez was sentenced in November to ten years in prison — Espacio Publico Venezuela
- hospitals deny access to independent media, at 60% — Correo del Caroní
- Renny González, habitante de Maracaibo, cumplió dos años en detención arbitraria — Espacio Publico Venezuela
- Espacio Público counted at least 107 violations of the right to inform so far this year — El Impulso Venezuela
- hospitals keep under reserve emergency purchases and budget allocations, at 90% — Correo del Caroní
Reported figures
- 170 — El Impulso Venezuela (Espacio Público) · Runrunes (Espacio Público) · Espacio Publico Venezuela (Espacio Público) · Correo del Caroní (Espacio Público)
- 60 — El Impulso Venezuela (Espacio Público) · Runrunes (Espacio Público) · Correo del Caroní (Espacio Público) · Tal Cual (Espacio Público)
- 47.65% — El Impulso Venezuela (Espacio Público) · Espacio Publico Venezuela (Espacio Público)
- 25.29% — El Impulso Venezuela (Espacio Público) · Espacio Publico Venezuela (Espacio Público)
- 107 — El Impulso Venezuela (Espacio Público)
- 104 — Runrunes (Espacio Público)
- 90% — Correo del Caroní (Espacio Público)
- 70% — Correo del Caroní (Espacio Público)
Grouped by number only: the same number can measure different things; none is chosen.
Contradictions between accounts
None verified among the 5 pieces of the event.
3 possible contradiction(s) proposed by the automatic judge are not shown: a second model did not confirm them, and we measured that judge producing them falsely.
Named actors and their role
- Espacio Público · Non-governmental organization that publishes the monthly bulletin on freedom of expression. · speaks and is the subject
- El Nacional · organization · speaks
- Conatel · organization · is the subject
- Instagram · organization · is the subject
- Deisy Martínez · person · speaks and is the subject
- Gobierno interino de Venezuela · organization · is the subject
- Manuel Sánchez · Caracas community leader sentenced to ten years in prison, according to Espacio Público. · is the subject
- Renny González · Maracaibo resident who completed two years in arbitrary detention, according to Espacio Público. · is the subject
- Efecto Cocuyo · organization · mentioned
- Armando.Info · organization · mentioned
- El Pitazo · organization · mentioned
- Delcy Rodríguez · person · mentioned on sanctions list OFAC
Signal map
violet = who asserts · blue = fact · thickness = outlets carrying it
What is missing
- No fact is yet corroborated by two independent outlets with their own text.
- Some percentages have no reported sample size or denominator in any coverage.
- Several outlets reproduce one origin without evidence of their own.
How this piece was made. 5 articles from the VeraVadis corpus between Sep 11, 2026 and Sep 13, 2026, grouped as one event. Facts and quotes extracted by model and validated by code against the original text; relations between outlets judged by model. Headline, lede, questions and falsifiers written by deepseek-flash, validated by code and read against the rubric by claude-opus-5. Not reviewed by a human editor. Admiralty scale: not computed, so not shown. Evidence fingerprint: b34c0469a9c0.
