Rumor – List of corrupt presidents funded by drug trafficking includes Lula, Bachelet, Kirchner, and Evo Morales.
Analysis
An alleged list of Latin American presidents and politicians has resurfaced on social media with serious accusations regarding campaign and government financing. The text claims that public figures such as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Michelle Bachelet, Cristina Kirchner, Evo Morales, Manuel Zelaya, and Ollanta Humala received direct funding from drug trafficking throughout their political careers.
The message recently gained renewed traction during election cycles, claiming that Lula received US$ 1 billion from drug trafficking. The content also attempts to link the alleged list to a spreadsheet attributed to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, founder of the Sinaloa Cartel. Read the version circulating online:
Version 1: The Chavista general has just exposed Lula, Michelle Bachelet, Cristina Kirchner, Evo Morales, Manuel Zelaya, Fernando Lugo, Humala, among others, as recipients of millions of dollars, except Lula. The cleared politician received One Billion dollars from drug trafficking, making it clear why he would not fight narco-terrorism or classify these criminal organizations as terrorists. Version 2: ATTENTION / BREAKING NEWS The first list of CORRUPT presidents who received US$ from DRUG TRAFFICKING via Maduro’s cartel has been released. Let’s share this as widely as possible.
Version 3: A detailed list of politicians was handed over—with names and amounts—who allegedly received money from drug traffickers. This is not a hypothesis. It is not a rumor. They said it themselves before the US judicial system to get prison benefits. And the list is devastating. Zambada, founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, had everything organized in an Excel spreadsheet: the politician’s name and the amount paid. No movies or TV series: real documentation handed over to the authorities. Let’s start with Latin America. Michelle Bachelet (Chile): almost 14 million dollars. Lula da Silva: one billion dollars, according to Zambada.
Evo Morales (Bolivia): US$ 420 million. Kirchner family (Argentina): Néstor Kirchner: US$ 72 million; Cristina Fernández de Kirchner: US$ 311 million; Álvaro Colom (Guatemala): US$ 31 million. Manuel Zelaya (Honduras): undisclosed amount, but listed. Ollanta Humala (Peru): appears on the list. According to confessions, payments were made in exchange for permission for drug trafficking activities: open borders, police complacency, campaign financing, and political favors. But beware: Europe also appears on the list. It includes: the Five Star Movement (Italy); Podemos (Spain); and within the Spanish group, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero as a central figure.
Fact-check
To verify if there is a list proving drug trafficking payments to Latin American presidents, we answered the following questions: 1) Does the list of corrupt presidents who received drug money include Lula, Bachelet, Kirchner, and Evo Morales? 2) Is there any proof that Lula received US$ 1 billion from drug trafficking or that his name appears on Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s spreadsheet? 3) Are there similar fake news stories involving alleged testimonies by Venezuelan authorities against Lula?
Does the list of corrupt presidents who received drug money include Lula, Bachelet, Kirchner, and Evo Morales?
There is no evidence of an official list or document demonstrating that the mentioned politicians received money from drug trafficking. The origin of part of this narrative stems from statements made in 2021 by former Venezuelan general Hugo Carvajal, former head of military intelligence during Hugo Chávez’s administration.
Crucially, Carvajal’s statement referred to alleged funding coming from the Venezuelan government. It did not present proof that Lula or the other individuals received money directly from drug cartels. The origin and verification of these accusations were subject to subsequent questioning and investigation.
A detailed fact-check regarding the campaign funding accusation from Venezuela showed that there is no evidence confirming the transfer of drug trafficking funds to the politician.
Is there any proof that Lula received US$ 1 billion from drug trafficking or that his name appears on Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s spreadsheet?
No reliable documentation has been presented to prove that Lula received US$ 1 billion from drug trafficking or that his name appears on an alleged spreadsheet belonging to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada detailing payments to politicians.
The current narrative adds this information to Hugo Carvajal’s old accusation, but fails to provide the alleged spreadsheet, original document, bank records, or any other evidence confirming the existence of the payment attributed to Lula.
Furthermore, the circulating message contains no documentation proving the amounts attributed to Michelle Bachelet, Cristina Kirchner, Evo Morales, or the other mentioned politicians.
Are there similar fake news stories involving alleged testimonies by Venezuelan authorities against Lula?
Yes. Content attributing alleged testimonies or denunciations by Venezuelan authorities against political leaders frequently appears on social media. In many cases, real or old statements are mixed with fabricated information to create more severe allegations.
Fact-checkers have previously debunked claims connecting Lula to Venezuelan drug trafficking to finance campaigns. Stories regarding an alleged plea bargain by Nicolás Maduro involving foreign politicians and Supreme Court justices were also checked.
Another false claim asserted that Israel’s Mossad revealed that Lula funded terrorist groups using organized crime money. There was also a false story circulating that Trump would arrest political figures following Maduro’s alleged testimony.
Conclusion
The message mixes old statements from Hugo Carvajal regarding alleged Venezuelan political funding with an unverified claim about an Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada spreadsheet. No proof has been provided showing that Lula received US$ 1 billion from drug trafficking or that his name appears on a cartel leader’s spreadsheet.
Fake news ❌
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