They borrowed credibility they didn't have the right to borrow.
Phonexia explicitly stated its software was never used in Hondurasgate materials, contradicting claims made by the anonymous leak portal that cited the company's verification technology. Hondurasgate operators admitted using Phonexia's API endpoints without explicit commercial authorization and later removed references to the company from their website after Contracorriente's investigation.
- Phonexia explicitly denied its software was used in Hondurasgate authentication
- Hondurasgate operators admitted using Phonexia's API without explicit commercial authorization
- The YouTube channel hosting Hondurasgate previously operated as Noti Bloom, a generic content channel with 114,000 subscribers
- Honduras Congress approved forensic analysis of the recordings on May 6; no progress reported one week later
- Phonexia has initiated legal action and demanded removal of all unauthorized references
Phonexia, a Czech software company, denies its audio verification tool was used to authenticate Hondurasgate recordings and has initiated legal action against unauthorized use of its branding and misleading claims about its participation.
A Czech software company has flatly denied that its audio verification tool played any role in authenticating the recordings at the center of Hondurasgate, a sprawling leak that has circulated internationally and drawn the attention of prominent left-wing figures across Latin America. Phonexia, the firm whose technology was repeatedly cited as the method used to verify the leaked conversations, told Contracorriente that its software was never deployed in connection with the materials or the investigations published under the Hondurasgate banner. The company has demanded the immediate removal of all unauthorized references to its name and has launched legal action over what it describes as false and misleading statements about its involvement.
The leaked audio files surfaced in late April and early May, published by Spanish media outlets owned by politician and journalist Pablo Iglesias. The recordings purported to capture conversations between prominent Honduran political figures, including Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president pardoned despite drug trafficking convictions; Nasry Asfura, the current president; Tomás Zambrano, head of the National Congress; and Cossette López, an adviser to the National Electoral Council. The investigations were bundled under the Hondurasgate label and quickly spread across international newsrooms. The leak also prompted a reaction from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has maintained close ties to Iglesias.
But the origins of Hondurasgate reveal deeper inconsistencies. Contracorriente's reporting uncovered that the YouTube channel hosting Hondurasgate had previously operated as Noti Bloom, a channel with no journalistic track record that in November 2025 published videos of alleged conversations between Honduran politicians days before the general elections. The channel had originally been named "Elon Musk Noticias" and since 2022 had uploaded generic content designed to maximize views and subscribers, accumulating 114,000 followers before rebranding as Hondurasgate. One video featuring a supposed conversation between Salvador Nasralla and Eduardo Facussé was deleted from the channel after Contracorriente's investigation, though it remains accessible through the Wayback Machine.
The Hondurasgate website originally featured a dedicated section describing how the audio files had been authenticated using Phonexia's forensic software. That section has since been removed. Phonexia's response was unambiguous: its software was not used in relation to any Hondurasgate materials or publications. The company stated that the materials in question contained numerous factual, conceptual, and technical inaccuracies about its technology and products, and that they misleadingly implied the use, validation, or participation of Phonexia's software. The firm emphasized that all related products were created without prior authorization.
When contacted by Contracorriente, the anonymous operators behind Hondurasgate acknowledged using Phonexia's API endpoints to process information and developing their own software to visualize the results. They admitted to using Phonexia's visual branding and trademarks on their platform without explicit commercial authorization. However, they distanced themselves from responsibility for claims about Phonexia's involvement, arguing that their investigations rest on the integrity of public data and their own sources. They suggested that Phonexia's denial stems from corporate pressure over a politically sensitive matter.
Cossette López, the electoral council adviser named in the leaked recordings, told Contracorriente that the anonymous leaks lack a verified source and are designed to cause harm through disinformation. She noted that the recordings implicate her in conversations with international figures she has never had access to and in implausible conspiracies. López described Hondurasgate as a "supra-regional experiment" following earlier leaked audio attributed to a former electoral adviser from the Libre party and the November 2025 Noti Bloom releases.
On May 6, Deputy Lenin Valeriano of the National Party introduced a motion urging the Public Ministry to conduct forensic analysis of the disputed recordings. The motion passed, and National Congress President Tomás Zambrano announced that the audio files would not only be audited by prosecutors but also sent to the United States for independent international examination. Deputy Iroshka Elvir, a member of the Liberal Party and wife of former presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla, supported the motion and called for investigation by other countries. As of one week after the motion's approval, however, no progress has been reported by the Attorney General's office, and requests for updates from Congress leadership have gone unanswered.
Citações Notáveis
The software of Phonexia was not used in relation to the materials and publications cited in hondurasgate.ch nor in the related report currently circulating online.— Phonexia, via email to Contracorriente
We recognize that we used visual elements and the branding of Phonexia on the platform without explicit commercial authorization.— Hondurasgate operators, via email to Contracorriente
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why would Hondurasgate cite Phonexia's technology if they weren't actually using it?
That's the central puzzle. They used Phonexia's API—the technical infrastructure—but then wrapped it in the company's branding and reputation without permission. It gave the leaked recordings a veneer of scientific legitimacy.
So they borrowed credibility they didn't have the right to borrow.
Exactly. And when Phonexia found out and objected, Hondurasgate simply removed the company's name from their website and replaced it with something called "HG Forensics." It's a kind of retroactive laundering of the source.
Did the operators of Hondurasgate ever explain why they did this?
They said they were just users of Phonexia's services, not partners. But they admitted using the branding without authorization. They also suggested Phonexia was backing away under corporate pressure because the topic is politically sensitive.
Is that plausible?
It's possible, but Phonexia's response is pretty clear and formal. They're not just distancing themselves—they're suing. That's not what a company does if they're quietly uncomfortable with politics. That's what they do when their name and technology have been misrepresented.
What does this do to the credibility of the recordings themselves?
It doesn't prove they're fake. But it does mean the main technical claim supporting their authenticity—that Phonexia verified them—is false. And that matters enormously when the recordings are being used to implicate sitting politicians in serious crimes.
Has anyone actually verified them yet?
Not officially. The Honduran Congress voted to send them for forensic analysis by prosecutors and international experts, but a week later there's been no movement. The recordings are still in limbo—widely circulated, politically consequential, but technically unverified.