Fact-checking 5 videos that falsely depict scenes from Venezuela’s earthquakes

In recent days, a wave of viral content has spread across social media platforms, claiming to depict the aftermath of devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. These videos, however, have been identified as misleading or entirely unrelated to the actual seismic events that occurred on June 24, 2026. While the real-life impact of the quakes has been severe—resulting in over 1,700 deaths and widespread destruction—many of the circulating videos have been shown to originate from completely different contexts and locations.

The first of these deceptive videos features a white building collapsing into a plume of dust. This footage, widely shared on platforms such as X, Instagram, and Facebook, was initially claimed to show damage caused by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela. However, upon closer examination using reverse image searches, it was discovered that the video had been recorded during a demolition in Turkey in 2023. A Turkish news outlet had already published the clip, noting that the structure was being removed due to prior earthquake damage. Thus, the footage was neither new nor relevant to the current situation in Venezuela.

Another misleading clip involves a scene of a woman shielding her child beneath her body. Social media users have claimed this moment took place during the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, emphasizing the emotional weight of the act. However, this video predates the current crisis and was originally shared in 2025 without specifying its location. It was later flagged by Venezuelan fact-checkers from the Observatorio Venezolano de Fake News, who pointed out that the footage was taken out of context and had nothing to do with the recent seismic activity.

A third video circulating online shows an orange-colored building collapsing along with nearby electrical poles. This footage was presented as evidence of the destruction in Venezuela but was traced back to a building collapse in Turkey following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in February 2023. Reports from Croatian and Bosnian-Herzegovinian newspapers noted that the incident was part of the aftershocks of that larger quake. Additionally, The Guardian had previously covered the event, confirming that the footage was not related to the recent events in Venezuela.

One particularly distressing piece of misinformation involves the claim that a young child named Lucas Gámez was rescued from the rubble in Caraballeda. According to a social media post, Lucas had been successfully pulled from the debris and was en route to a clinic. However, his mother clarified in a video and Instagram story that Lucas was still missing. She stated that rescuers had found an adult body instead of her son, dispelling the false narrative surrounding his rescue.

Lastly, a video showing red laser beams scanning the sky has been circulating since March, with some users linking it to the impending earthquakes in Venezuela. The footage was shared alongside claims that these lasers appeared moments before the quakes struck. However, previous fact-checks have debunked similar assertions regarding pre-disaster phenomena, indicating that there is no scientific basis for such claims. The video itself has no connection to the recent seismic events in Venezuela and has been repeatedly shared without any correlation to actual natural disasters.

The spread of these misleading videos highlights the challenges faced by authorities and fact-checkers in distinguishing between genuine footage of disaster and fabricated content. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains crucial for individuals to verify information before sharing it, especially when dealing with sensitive and potentially life-threatening situations.