‘Having learned of the energetic measures adopted by the Sovereigns of Europe to exterminate the Misántropo (mankind hater) of Corsica, and thus wipe away the tears of Humanity, I shall take care to prevent the dissemination in these domains of the harmful and false news with which his vile henchmen attempt to unhinge the Universe.’1 Melodramatic and overblown as it sounds at first, this statement by the viceroy of Perú, José Fernando de Abascal, in reaction to news received from the authorities in Madrid about Napoleon’s departure from Elba in 1815 may ring familiar to readers living in a ‘post-truth’ society. Napoleon’s agency, let alone the effectiveness of his followers’ deeds in this regard could be doubted, but there is no denying that the Hispanic world never experienced such disruption and mayhem as in the period that rightly bears his name. Dealing extensively in misinformation became part and parcel of the activities of all parties involved in the worldwide conflict that ensued from the French Revolutionary Wars.