Fake News Hunters is a non-profit organization founded in Chile by Venezuelan migrants, specialized in the study of disinformation, propaganda and influence operations in the context of Venezuela and Latin America. Using open source research techniques and data journalism, it tracks, analyzes and disseminates checks and investigations on rumors, hoaxes, coordinated political campaigns and other digital information threats such as hate speech or scams. The organization carries out its checks for misinformation, disinformation and influence operations using a transparent methodology that allows any interested person to replicate its procedures and obtain the same conclusions. Fake News Hunters has published multiple investigations into the disinformation ecosystem in Venezuela and other Latin American countries, revealing influence operations that use techniques such as networks of accounts and fake news programs that promote disinformation to manipulate online conversation. In addition to the study of sociopolitical misinformation in Venezuela, in more recent years the organization has conducted research on topics such as hate speech promoted by political actors in Venezuela and other issues that affect the Venezuelan diaspora, such as racism and xenophobia in other countries in the region. A work published in 2023 by Cazadores de Fake News and C-Informa about a Venezuelan digital disinformation network received the SIP award for "Journalistic Excellence", "Data Journalism" category. Cazadores de Fake News is part of C-Informa, a Venezuelan anti-disinformation coalition, of the LatamChequea network and is a research partner in influence operations of Meta. The organization promotes a media and information literacy program in the context of the analysis of disinformation, propaganda and influence operations, with which it has trained more than 200 journalists and human rights activists in Venezuela. Likewise, it promotes the responsible and conscious use of Generative Artificial Intelligence, implementing ethical practices early in its procedures and promoting its ethical use in the context of Venezuelan journalism.
