Disinfo: Macron’s friends abroad are fascists, he promotes corporate multinational interests

Summary

You should know that Mr. Macron’s friends abroad are corrupt and generally fascists. Lopez, whose wife he [Macron] received with a long red carpet, is a man who was steeped in the violence of the military coup against Chavez in 2002. In Bolivia, he [Macron] allies with fascists. Behind Mesa, there is a man who is really a fascist, think his name is probably Machado. It is to restore the power and privileges of the corrupt elites. In Bolivia, there is Lithium. Renault is very interested. Evo Morales wanted to defend autonomy and economic sovereignty. Macron’s position is not innocent, there are the interests of the multinationals.

Disproof

A set of unfounded claims on the President of France and a number of Latin American political leaders. The article displays the recurrent conspiracy narrative presenting Latin America's political struggles as artificial, inspired by the West and as a battle between legitimate ruling elites and corrupt opposition leaders.

Venezuelan long-time opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez spent three years in prison and now is under house arrest. His detention back in 2014 was denounced by human rights organisations, including by the High UN Commissioner for Human Rights, as politically motivated over the protests against Ugo Chavez.

In Bolivia, the actual president Carlos Mesa was backed by Luis Fernando Camacho (not "Machado") during the recent anti-Morales protest which broke out over the election controversy. After three presidential terms, Evo Morales tried to be re-elected for a fourth presidential term. He was forced to resign amid protest rallies held by the Bolivian opposition. Camacho did not espouse far-right policies during the protests. Instead, he focused on promoting Catholicism and uniting Bolivians against what he called “the dictatorial tyranny of Morales”. Camacho was known as a regional Bolivian civic activist and centrist right politician. Comacho served as vice-president of the Santa-Cruz Youth Union in 2002-2004. In 2008-2009, this organisation was accused by the International Federation of Human Rights as having a far-right agenda. From 2004 to 2013, Comacho was inactive in politics.

There is no evidence regarding the claims around Macron or the Renault corporation.

Read more disinformation cases on Venezuela and Bolivia. See also more disinformation narrative examples on fascism.

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Reported in: Issue 187
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 04/12/2019
Language/target audience: French
Country: Bolivia, Venezuela, France
Keywords: Corruption, Nazi/Fascist
Outlet: Sputnik French @ time 14:35 - 15:45

Poland was an ally of Hitler, Stalin decided not to focus on its pre-war sins

Poland was an ally of Hitler – what other facts should be reminded to [Jaroslaw] Kaczyński. The USSR passed over the facts about the Polish cooperation with Nazi Germany in silence. Joseph Stalin, appreciating Poland as an important ally in the Warsaw Pact, considered that it is not worth to focus on the sins of the pre-war Polish leadership.

February 09, 2020

Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and an attempt to erode the disastrous historical role of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact by stating that Poland was a Nazi ally, so it should blame itself for the German-Soviet attack in September 1939.

The claim that Poland was “an ally of Nazi Germany” goes against all available historical documents. Before WWII, Poland had tense political relations with Nazi Germany, which expressed open territorial claims on Poland (revision of the status of the Free City of Danzig and control over the “Polish Corridor”). Despite intense political pressure from Hitler, Poland consistently refused to become part of the Nazi block.

NATO issued a death sentence for cooperation with Russia because of Crimea

NATO announced cutting ties with Russia in 2014 after the Crimean Peninsula returned to the arms of the Russian homeland. NATO thus issued a death sentence for cooperation with Russia in all fields, especially the military field.

February 09, 2020

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the annexation of Crimea claiming that Crimean citizens chose to re-join Russia through a legal referendum which has not been recognised by any international body.

A year later, even the Kremlin admitted that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the so-called referendum.

Estonia pressures anyone with points of view diverging from the official one

Estonian intelligence exerts a variety of methods to pressure the opposition and independent politicians, public figures, human rights activists and journalists who represent a point of view inconsistent with the country’s domestic and foreign policies, as well as defenders of the rights of Russian-speaking communities.

“Sputnik – Estonia” news agency is under severe pressure from the authorities, which have increased greatly and amounted to repression and administrative restrictions since the fall of 2019 with the clear aim of liquidating the agency.

There are British coordinators involved in the practices of the Estonian authorities.

February 09, 2020

Disproof

This claim tries to show sanctions against Russia, due to its illegal actions in Ukraine, as unfair persecution against Sputnik and its employees, and against media freedom in general.

Estonia is ranked as the 11th freest country in the world for press by Reporters Without Borders. Estonia is considered a consolidated democracy by Freedom House and a Flawed Democracy by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index. Thus, Estonia is by no means a regime that pressures opposition or those who represent a point of view inconsistent with the country's domestic and foreign policies.