Venezuelan influencer and winner of the 2022 Venezuelan Journalist Prize (Twitter mention) Orlenys Ortiz. Photo: X/@OrlenysOV.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com) – Venezuelan influencer and National Journalism Award winner Orlenys Ortiz has gone viral again by showcasing national unity in the face of an unprecedented US imperialist threat, which has positioned eight war vessels in the Southern Caribbean near Venezuela’s borders.
In recent days, Ortiz has published videos and photos showing massive participation by Venezuelans enlisting in the Bolivarian Militia after a call by President Nicolás Maduro and other Chavista leaders.
As in the past, the journalist has become a target of right-wing attacks. In 2018 and 2019, she gained notoriety by showing normality amid crisis in a Venezuela besieged by economic war and sanctions and again in 2022 when Argentina—following US orders—seized a Boeing 747 cargo jet belonging to Venezuela. She has consistently demonstrated elements of Venezuelan life that the Western narrative refuses to portray.
Nuevas imágenes del despliegue defensivo de la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela en su Mar Caribe.
El comandante del Comando Estratégico Operacional de la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana CEOFANB, Gral. Hernández Lárez, compartió imágenes del despliegue de la… pic.twitter.com/9CVGzMDirK
Attacks from the far-right
For her posts, the influencer has received hate from far-right fanatics who seek to minimize her work.
“All those photos are lies,” “No one is enlisting in the Militia,” “Maduro is about to fall,” and misogynistic messages that demean her as a woman are some expressions of hate visible on her X account, which also has a presence on Telegram, Instagram and TikTok. A simple reading of the comments reveals the nature of those who oppose the Bolivarian Revolution, both in Venezuela and Latin America.
Dismantling false narratives
Many analysts, relying on false reports from Venezuelan far-right sources, have spread rumors about a potential split within the Bolivarian Armed Forces due to the threat of US military action. However, the reality on the streets proves the contrary and demonstrates the solidity of President Maduro’s leadership.
Even the far-right Argentine publication El Clarín wrote about her in 2022 for her work breaking down the theft of the Boeing 747 from the Venezuelan company EMTRASUR by the Argentine judiciary and US imperialism.
Many analysts believe it is essential to promote communicators of this caliber, who simply defend their country and the cause they believe in: Chavismo.