AI-Generated Deepfake Falsely Attributes Political Statement to Salvadoran President
A deepfake video was widely shared on social media falsely attributing to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele a statement announcing a joint U.S.-El Salvador investigation into Colombian and Venezuelan leaders. Fact-checkers identified the video as AI-manipulated audio from an original January 2025 speech about utility bill payments, with analysis showing 99% probability the audio was artificially generated.
What happened
A deepfake video circulated on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok showing Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele allegedly announcing a collaboration between El Salvador and the United States to investigate Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The original video was published on Bukele's official TikTok account on 15 January 2025, in which he announced his government would assume payment for water and electricity consumption for 95% of households. The audio was manipulated to alter Bukele's speech between seconds 0:00 and 0:19, removing references to employee payments and inserting false claims about international investigations.
Reported impact
The false video spread widely across social media platforms during a period of heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States over military deployments in the Caribbean.
Index analysis
Reverse image search identified the original January 15, 2025 publication, revealing the clip retained the same clothing and setting as the original but with altered audio. Voice analysis tools including Hiya Deepfake Voice estimated a 99% probability the audio was artificial, and analysis showed a mismatch between facial movements and the soundtrack with robotic-sounding speech.
No reliable media outlets reported similar statements from Bukele, and no official record exists of an agreement between El Salvador and the United States to investigate the presidents of Colombia or Venezuela.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.