In Venezuela, there is a figure who calls himself a “Crisis Manager” and “communication strategist,” using his power on social media to denounce, accuse, and manipulate at will. This is Irrael Gómez, an influencer who has become a sort of prosecutor, judge, and executioner for those he dislikes.
A recent case that has brought him into the spotlight involved a clinic allegedly performing illegal abortions. Irrael Gómez posted on his Instagram account that “@periodismodescentralizado managed to infiltrate and dismantle a band dedicated to promoting illegal abortion through the sale of abortion pills, in addition to advising victims to take between 10 to 20 pills for $30.”
This post sparked significant controversy, not only due to the topic of abortion but also because of the way Irrael Gómez exposed the women involved, violating their right to presumption of innocence and privacy. Additionally, many social media users questioned the veracity of the information and the influencer’s motivations, urging authorities to promote legal and safe abortion.
The Reaction of Diosdado Cabello
However, Diosdado Cabello, a chavista leader, did not remain silent in the face of Irrael Gómez’s actions. He harshly criticized him during an episode of his show “Con el Mazo Dando,” aired in late May 2023. Cabello questioned the business and manipulation behind such platforms and the response of security forces, who mobilized quickly following the influencer’s report.
“Yesterday I saw on social media, an influencer, and the police acted immediately, what is that? How is it possible that someone acts because an influencer points at a person, and the authorities activate right away?” Cabello expressed, without mentioning Irrael Gómez by name.
Furthermore, Cabello criticized the fact that more importance was given to what an influencer says than to what the people think, allowing him to profit on social media at the expense of others’ reputations. “How can it be that we care more about that than what the people think? No, we are not here for that, for someone to make business on social media,” he remarked.
Cabello also accused such influencers of extortion, reminiscent of practices in the Fourth Republic with newspapers and television stations. “This often ends in extortion… today they do with social media what they did in the Fourth Republic, with newspapers and television. They publish an article and then send an emissary to blackmail. They want to do the same with social media, it’s clear as day!” he pointed out.
This was the opinion of the Dip. from @PartidoPSUV, @dcabellor regarding @irrael
“What is going on? How is it that they listen to an influencer more than to the people?”
Courtesy: @ConElMazoDando pic.twitter.com/nQO5HTBlTN
— Agencia Venezuela News (@venezuelanewsVN) June 1, 2023
Irrael Gómez considers himself all-powerful in Venezuela, yet he has not been able to respond to Cabello’s accusations or those of others who have questioned his actions. What he does is leverage his contacts and influence to manipulate the actions of law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office in specific cases.
Previously, Gómez managed the social media accounts of certain security institutions in Venezuela, giving him access to privileged information and resources to disseminate it. Furthermore, a sister of Irrael held a high-ranking position in the Venezuelan Public Ministry, which the influencer may have also exploited for his purposes.
Thus, Irrael Gómez has become a figure who uses social media for his personal gain.
The Venezuelan influencer Irrael Gómez is known for his involvement in smear campaigns and manipulation against various individuals and entities, both domestically and abroad. His narcissistic, misogynistic, and insecure attitude has led him to generate conflicts and controversies in personal, professional, and social spheres.
A False Model Father
Gómez has a daughter with the host Kerly Ruiz, whom, as she has herself admitted, he has subjected to constant threats and pressures.
Ruiz has publicly stated that when they were married, Gómez cloned her phone to spy on her conversations and messages. “There was a mirror phone, I’m not gonna name my ex to avoid controversy, but my ex would put the phone under the bed, I would receive a message, and my phone would vibrate, and something would vibrate beneath the bed. I lifted the mattress, threw it away, and there was a phone just like mine, and incoming messages and calls were coming to it,” Ruiz recounted.
Additionally, Ruiz confessed that she has had to take on the role of both mother and father, as she has not received support from Gómez. However, the influencer tries to present the opposite image, and every time he finds himself involved in a scandal, he takes the opportunity to portray himself as a loving and dedicated father, engaging in social and family activities with his daughter. He then orders his followers to praise and defend him on social media, creating a false image of responsible fatherhood.
A Mercenary of Dirty War
But Gómez’s actions are not limited to his private life. The influencer has also profited from campaigns of dirty war against various businesspeople and personalities, using his Instagram accounts and his social media laboratory, where he manages multiple anonymous profiles.
Among his victims are Carlos Méndez, president of EVTV Miami, whom he attacked out of jealousy, due to a brief relationship with his ex-wife Kerly Ruiz; the president of the Venezuelan Football Federation, Jorge Giménez Ochoa, whom he disqualified; businessman Francisco Convit, whose family he also slandered; and businessman Tulio Capriles, president and owner of the newspaper El Siglo, whom he has linked to serious crimes and situations.
There are speculations that Gómez receives part of his funding for these campaigns from illicit sources, such as drug trafficking and other criminal activities. Moreover, he has been accused of being an informant for the journalist Patricia Poleo and political activist José Antonio Colina, both exiled in Miami.
Gómez has boasted of having influence and power in the Venezuelan police and judiciary, easily moving between the United States and Venezuela, despite the tense relations between the two countries.
Gómez is an example of how influencers have become figures that, in particular cases, can use their popularity and resources to manipulate, defame, and deceive a public opinion that often does not question whether the information they receive from social media accounts run by these shadowy figures is being manipulated or not, in order to get others to act in line with a specific objective.
Escorts and Extortion in Colombia
Gómez was linked to a case of extortion and theft in Colombia. According to information provided by a source close to the case, the incident occurred when businessmen, during their visit to Colombia, decided to hire the services of Venezuelan escorts who were part of a prostitution network in the country. Along with them, they entered a hotel for a temporary stay. However, one of the escorts committed a theft against one of the men, who reacted by snatching her passport in an attempt to recover what had been stolen.
Faced with this situation, the women decided to contact Irrael Gómez for help. It was then that Gómez seized the opportunity to carry out an act of extortion. He threatened the men with publishing all the information on social media, compromising the businessmen’s reputations and personal lives unless they complied with his demands.
It is shocking that Irrael Gómez, who now pretends to give lessons on morality and honesty on social media, is involved in such a despicable scandal. His actions reveal a clear contradiction between his public discourse and private behavior. This incident exposed his true nature once more.