RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA IN VENEZUELA DURING THE FULL-SCALE WAR AGAINST UKRAINE (2022–2024)

Abstract

After the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia intensified its activities in the information space of Latin American countries to influence political decisions and public opinion and shape a distorted perception of military intervention in a neighboring country. One of the key regional allies and distributors of Russian propaganda in the region is Venezuela. The article analyzes the key narratives and tools used to spread Russian propaganda in Venezuela during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. It has been determined that Venezuela is one of the main platforms for promoting Russian propaganda through the direct retransmission of RT en Español and Sputnik Mundo content by state television channels, in particular VTV and Telesur, as well as by the country’s political leadership. Russian propaganda is not only present in the country’s information space but is also integrated into Venezuela’s state information policy, which enables it to utilize a wide range of media sources to reach a broader audience. Prop- aganda narratives are aimed at justifying the war against Ukraine, discrediting the Ukrainian government, promoting the idea of fighting fascism, demonising the West, and shaping the image of Russia as the “guarantor of a multipolar world”. Russian propaganda campaigns are distinguished by their scale, complexity, ideological tone, adaptability and flexibility. Anti-Ukrainian rhetoric is woven into an anti-Western con- text, combined with the promotion of ideas of anti-imperialism and multipolarity that are appealing to the local audience. Russian propaganda is largely based on the falsifi- cation and fabrication of facts. This allows to legitimize the authoritarian rule, explan internal crises as external conspiracies, and to promote the anti-imperialist ideas that are already acceptable for Venezuelan audience.