On October 21, Facebook user Veneno Menabde published a photo with the following description “Mural in Denver airport. Airport started operating in 1995”. The photo illustrates Children wearing masks with flags from various countries of the world designed on it. Later, Veneno Menabde deleted the description, albeit the photo of the mentioned painting can still be found on the user’s wall. The proportion of users who shared the photo or commented on it linked the painting to the pre-planning of coronavirus.
Veneno Menabde’s post is photo manipulation because there’s no such Mural in Denver airport nor was it created in 1995. In reality, this painting belongs to a Filipino painter and it aims to raise awareness about coronavirus. Painter Christian Trinidad published a photo of the mentioned painting on his Facebook on February 25, 2020.
Painter Christian Trinidad living in Philipines published the photo of the painting depicting children wearing flags of various countries designed on it with the title “MASKCOMMUNICATION” on Facebook on February 25. On March 5, he also shared one of the information agency’s story about this painting.
As for the Denver airport, there’s a mural depicting children in traditional clothes from around the world, mural is titled “Children of the World Dream of Peace”.
Dissemination of the photo with the wrong context
As of October 23, a photo published by Veneno Menabde has 81 shares. As mentioned above, the user deleted the initial description (“Mural in Denver airport. Airport started operating in 1995”) after the Factcheck.org article was linked in the comments. The article includes the real story of the photo, albeit Veneno Menabde didn’t write about the origins in the photo description even after that and currently photo is published without context.
The proportion of users who either shared the photo or commented on it, associated it with pre-planning of coronavirus.
Moreover, the Facebook page „წინაპართა ნაკვალევზე“ (Following in the Footsteps of Ancestors) has shared the photo with the initial description. Page’s post has 10 shares.
The photo contributes to conspiracy theories outside of Georgia as well. On July 1, Ukrainian fact-checking platform Stopfake.org” published an article that debunks the photo being passed off as the mural from Denver airport and its’ link to pre-planning of coronavirus with real facts.
