Did you receive this information about the Ombudsman’s Office in Venezuela? Check before sharing:
- Ángela Russo was not appointed in Venezuela: her election occurred in Panama
- On April 9, 2026, Eglée González Lobato was appointed as the Ombudsman in Venezuela
- The Venezuelan process was marked by questions about transparency
In the midst of the current context of political transition in Venezuela, misinformation has circulated about possible appointments to State positions, such as the false appointment of a new manager of the El Palito refineryis information falsified by a cryptocurrency operator and the decontextualization of a news item that stated that The Guri is under maintenance by Chinese contractors and that there was an order from Washington to “take it away,” which is also false.
Now, through our verification chatbot, The WhatsApp Auntwe receive a screenshot of a news report that informs that Ángela Russo was elected Ombudsman. However, the content is decontextualized, since the designation occurred in Panama and is not related to the Venezuelan process.
This check is the result of rigorous adherence to our verification methodology, after analysis and contrast with the available evidence and does not represent opinions or value judgments, as established in our Neutrality and Nonpartisanship Policyin which we warn of the limitations to the exercise of journalism in Venezuela.
Ángela Russo was elected in Panama, not in Venezuela
On April 8, 2026, Ángela Russo was appointed as Ombudsman by the National Assembly of Panama for the period 2026-2031, according to the official website report of this Panamanian entity.
His election generated questions in that country because his name was not initially among the approved candidates by the Government Commission, but she was later reinstated and ended up being elected by the legislative plenary session. Panamanian media documented that This change in the process generated criticism from political and social sectorswhich pointed out inconsistencies in the selection criteria and possible agreements within Parliament.
Furthermore, the screenshot that circulated on WhatsApp was from the Instagram account of TVNNewsa medium that describes itself as “News, Sports and Entertainment of Panama.” However, it is worth noting that they have a section dedicated to Venezuela on their website.
It coincided with the appointment of the new Ombudsman in Venezuela
Although this content circulated when the vacancy for the Ombudsman’s Office was still available, in the afternoon of April 9, 2026 (one day after the appointment in Panama), the National Assembly of Venezuela appointed the lawyer and university professor Eglée González Lobato as new Ombudsmanreplacing Alfredo Ruiz, who had resigned last February, along with the former attorney general, Tareck William Saab.
The appointment occurred as part of the renewal process of the Citizen Power, along with the appointment of a new attorney general, Larry Devoewho had already held the position since Saab’s resignation, by temporary appointment of the AN during the parliamentary process of receiving applications and candidates for selection, as the media explains. SwissInfo.
Who is Eglée González Lobato?
Gonzalez Lobato She is a constitutional lawyer and university professor, linked to the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), she has a doctorate in Law and a specialization in Administrative Law. In addition, he has experience in issues related to institutions and democratic processes in Venezuela.
According to The Pitazohas an extensive career in public office: she worked at the National Electoral Council (CNE) during the 2010s, where she was a legal consultant between 2014 and 2016 and then executive director of the office of former rector Luis Emilio Rondón.
She has also participated as a consultant in international projects on governance and citizen participation, including collaborations with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and is the author and co-author of technical publications on the Venezuelan electoral system.
In recent years she has been present as a political analyst in the media, addressing issues of institutionality and electoral processes. Her name was proposed before the National Assembly by deputy David Uzcátegui, and, according to sources cited by El Pitazo, she received the approval of the ruling party, which identifies her as part of the so-called “non-radical opposition” and as a figure linked to spaces for political dialogue.
What is the context of your appointment?
According to an explanatory article by The Diaryher name was promoted from parliamentary sectors and presented as a figure without active partisan militancy, although she is related to different political actors.
For its part, the newspaper The Country points out that, although his appointment has been presented as a “concession” within the political balance, it did not have the full support of opposition sectors and occurred in a process dominated by the ruling majority, being a selection process with more than 150 initial applications reduced to a final list, which had a lack of consensus between the ruling party and the opposition.
That is why jurists and civil organizations question irregularities in the selection process of both the Ombudsman and the Attorney General, as explained The Impulsewho denounce that there was a lack of transparency in the evaluation criteria, absence of publication of selection scales and changes in the length of the process, as warned by the TalCual newspaper hours before learning of said designations.
Conclusion
It is false that Ángela Russo has been appointed Ombudsman in Venezuela. The images circulating correspond to his election in Panama and were decontextualized to attribute him a position in the country.
When applying our verification methodwe verified that in Venezuela, the National Assembly appointed Eglée González Lobato as the new head of the Ombudsman’s Office on April 9, 2026, in the midst of a process questioned due to lack of transparency and in a context of high circulation of misinformation about institutional changes.
Given the redistribution of content with the aim of misinforming, we invite you to consult the WhatsApp auntwhich you can also contact on Telegramto verify the contents before disseminating them.
