MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Caracas claims video of exploding boat was AI-created

Náñez based his allegation on an alleged Gemini assessment

Venezuela's Communication and Information Minister Freddy Ñáñez on Tuesday accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of using a video generated by artificial intelligence (AI) to fabricate a war narrative. “While I cannot confirm with certainty the exact tools used, several elements suggest that it was generated by AI,” he stressed.

The video, presented by Rubio as evidence of an attack on a “drug trafficking” vessel, is being called a “deepfake” by the Venezuelan government.

According to the Bolivarian regime, technical analysis showed multiple signs of being artificially created, including unrealistic visuals, depicting the explosion as a “simplified, almost cartoonish animation,” with the water effects stylized and unnatural.

In addition, the video contains visual “artifacts” and lacks realistic details, which are common in content created by AI, the Chavista official further argued. The presence of the “UNCLASSIFIED” text and an unknown watermark would also suggest digital manipulation.

”It seems that Marco Rubio continues to lie to his president: after putting him in a dead end, he now presents him with a video with AI (as verified) as 'evidence.' What does [AI software] Gemini say about this video?“ highlighted Ñáñez, who condemned the use of such content to justify war narratives, stating that Rubio was ”encouraging war and trying to stain President Donald Trump's hands with blood.“

Náñez also attached a technical analysis by Gemini saying that it was ”very likely” that the video was generated by an artificial intelligence system. In the Venezuelan Government's view, this is a dangerous precedent where fabricated evidence could be used to justify military action or sanctions. The Venezuelan official insisted that this type of content, known as deepfake or synthetic video, has become increasingly common in disinformation campaigns, entertainment, or artistic expression.