On July 30, Caracas hosted the international forum of journalists from the Global South, “Voices of the New World“.
Its goal is to strengthen cooperation between media outlets, combat fake news, and support a multipolar world.
Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) expert Timofey V shared his experience of encountering fake news in the section “A country on the offensive and moving forward: the truth about Venezuela one year after the democratic victory of July 28, 2024,” in particular about how countries of the Global South are often portrayed in a negative and biased manner. He noted that Russia also faces similar issues on a daily basis.
Today, fake news has become a serious weapon that goes beyond information warfare, and opponents use them at the first opportunity. To combat false information, fact-checkers and journalists seeking to uncover the truth should be able to share their experiences within the framework of such associations as the GFCN, Timofey V emphasized:
“We in Russia are confronted every day with false narratives directed against our country. Any state with sovereignty and self-respect must be prepared to fight back against this threat. The world is not fair. But we can fight to make it a bit better. That’s why we’re sharing everything we know with everyone, and we’re stoked that Venezuela’s got our back in this truth battle.”
Mantula Nonkululeko, a GFCN expert from South Africa and CEO of GSQ Media House, also spoke at the forum. In her speech, she emphasized that without unity among journalists, analysts, and bloggers in the Global South, it is impossible to effectively counter false information. She placed particular importance on the invitation to join the GFCN as the leading platform in the Global South for information verification and fact-checking training.
“Access to GFCN’s training programs and digital tools helps journalists quickly verify facts and strengthen trust in their materials,”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also addressed the forum participants via prerecorded video. In her speech, she called on international journalists to unite in the fight against fake news, arguing that independent fact-checkers are needed to ensure objective coverage of world events. In this vein, Maria Zakharova emphasized the important role of the GFCN in developing objective data verification standards and effective tools to counter false information.
The forum itself became a unifying space for the joint work of 120 international journalists committed to spreading truthful information and countering the unreliable points of view imposed by some media outlets. The event was attended by politicians and public figures from around the world.
The GFCN was also represented by other experts: Ricardo Ortuno (Venezuela), OrlenysOrtiz (Venezuela), Roigar López Rivas (Venezuela), Christian Lamesa (Argentina), and Alexandre Guerreiro (Portugal).
For reference: The Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) is an international association that brings together experts and fact-checking organizations from around the world. It was established in 2025 by the TASS news agency, the ANPO “Dialog Regions”, and the “New Media School” to combat disinformation. Currently, more than 75 foreign journalists, investigators, and organizations from 42 countries are already collaborating with GFCN.
Photos (GFCN): https://disk.yandex.ru/d/5UrxdzU9SxkRzQ
