An Israeli-Jewish plot, accusations against the indigenous Mapuche community and allegations against real-estate business interests are just some of the theories circulating about the origin of the devastating fires burning in Patagonia. These stories are being replicated on social media, without any kind of verification, but they are also being pushed by political leaders and public figures who are seizing the opportunity to push their own agendas.
Even President Javier Milei has gotten in on the act, going so far as to publish an image generated with artificial intelligence in which he is seen holding the hand of a forest firefighter – despite not even setting foot in Argentina’s south in recent weeks.
It’s as if there is a tailor-made explanation for every individual and their own biases. Fake news about the fires raging in Chubut Province and nearby regions spreads in different formats: memes, images that mimic newspaper headlines, tweets written in a supposedly revelatory tone, carrying eye-grabbing emojis. It is a phenomenon typical of our times, but it takes on a different dimension when it becomes the language of officials or media stars.
The Chequeado fact-checking organisation, which is dedicated to verifying information, is tracking the most widely circulated digital narratives. It rejects the hypotheses blaming Israelis and Mapuches. The site’s journalists interviewed the chief prosecutor of Lago Puelo, Carlos Díaz Mayer, who said that “they are an inv
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