Venezuela has a fake news problem, too

The fake news comes from a variety of sources, many of them unidentified, most of them with vested interests in the current conflict. Those who talk of terrorism and attacks on government officials do so because they hope that a military coup will put an end to the chaos. People who talk of torture and kidnappings are fear-mongerers, stoking hate among Venezuelans without little thought for the consequences. Between grief for the dead, scarcity, corruption and constant skirmishes, the hardest thing for Venezuelans to deal with today may be this information war. Divisive fake news polarizes us, alienates us and angers us. In so doing, it makes a peaceful, negotiated way out of this crisis ever less likely. And that's bad news for all. More…