Oh, it certainly can be hidden -- for a time.

But eventually, the lie becomes too big or too difficult to contain and when their attempts to make reality align with their lies fail, then the lie starts to fall apart.

Also, often the cover up is worse which very much rang true here. As they sent dignitaries and celebrities and washed up musical groups to a so-called battlefield, they started to erode their own lies and reduce the hold it had on the population.