The viral video alleged to show plastic pollution in Asia actually depicts debris flowing from Guatemala’s Río Motagua into the Caribbean. CBS News posted the identical footage on June 22, 2022, identifying the location as the river mouth. A Nov. 11, 2025 X post by @RadioGenoa misattributed the clip to Asia. Environmental monitors say the Motagua transports plastic along its 486-kilometer course, much of it originating near Guatemala City.
Fact Check: Viral Video of Floating Plastic Is from Guatemala’s Río Motagua — Not Asia
The viral video alleged to show plastic pollution in Asia actually depicts debris flowing from Guatemala’s Río Motagua into the Caribbean. CBS News posted the identical footage on June 22, 2022, identifying the location as the river mouth. A Nov. 11, 2025 X post by @RadioGenoa misattributed the clip to Asia. Environmental monitors say the Motagua transports plastic along its 486-kilometer course, much of it originating near Guatemala City.
06:16 AM, 11/13/2025Environment
Fact Check: Viral Video Shows Guatemala’s Caribbean Shore, Not Asia
Does a viral clip of dense floating plastic show a shoreline in Asia? No. The footage actually captures plastic and other debris moving from Guatemala’s Río Motagua toward the Caribbean coast.
What the evidence shows:
- A reverse-image search traced the clip to a CBS News post on X dated June 22, 2022, which identified the location as the mouth of the Río Motagua.
- The same video was later reshared on X by the @RadioGenoa account on November 11, 2025 with the caption:
'This is Asia. Where is Greta?'
- An international environmental monitoring group reports the Río Motagua carries plastic along its 486-kilometer route through Guatemala to the Caribbean, with much of the debris originating around Guatemala City.
Context: Environmentalists frequently describe the Río Motagua as one of the world’s most polluted rivers because it collects urban and industrial waste from across its watershed.
Verdict: The claim that the footage shows an Asian shoreline is false. The video depicts garbage washing into the Caribbean from Guatemala’s Río Motagua.
How we verified the claim: We performed a reverse-image search to locate the original CBS News clip, confirmed the June 22, 2022 post, and compared captions and dates. To verify viral videos yourself, check the original source, reputable news outlets, and trusted environmental monitoring reports.