By Entorno | 2024-09-23

WASHINGTON, DC -- Authoritarian regimes in Russia, China and Iran for years have weaponized Spanish-language disinformation to destabilize democracy in Latin America and the United States, according to a resolution introduced in the US Congress.

The bicameral resolution urges governments and social media platforms to "act swiftly in taking stronger action to confront these challenges."

US Senators Ben Cardin and Ben Ray Luján and US Representative Joaquin Castro introduced the resolution September 19.

"Disinformation and misinformation activities in Latin American and the Caribbean have promoted harmful, false narratives spread by the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation," the resolution said.

The measure contends that these activities "posed significant risks to electoral integrity across the region, particularly in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico."

It further states that they "also fueled protests in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador," often amplified by operations linked to the Russian Federation.

The resolution notes that the authoritarian regimes of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela have manipulated local information landscapes through disinformation campaigns, while expanding these efforts across the region "for purposes of undermining democratic values."

They have actively spread false narratives and propaganda, often amplifying media outlets controlled by China, Russia and Iran, it said.

This was done "particularly through the use of state-affiliated media networks targeting Spanish-speaking audiences, such as CGTN TV and Xinhua News (China), RT and Sputnik (Russia) and HispanTV (Iran)," according to the measure.

The resolution calls on the US government to "strengthen the role of the United States in countering the creation and amplification of disinformation in Latin America and the Caribbean and bolstering regional information environments."

Undermining democracy

It emphasizes the need to counter the influence of local media affiliated with state-run outlets from China, Russia and Iran by providing "objective, reliable and accurate information" as a means of mitigating their impact.

The resolution calls for increased US investment in public diplomacy, with a focus on expanding programs that engage Latin American and Caribbean audiences through social media and messaging platforms.

"For years, Russia, China and other authoritarian regimes have weaponized disinformation to undermine democracy -- both in the United States and across the globe," Cardin, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.

This Congressional resolution is "the first of its kind to address the dangers of dis/misinformation in the region and its impact on Latino communities in the United States," he said.

Lawmakers are calling on social media platforms and local governments to take a more active role in combating this growing threat.

"Over the last decade, social media and the speed of modern communication have driven an unprecedented spread in global misinformation and disinformation, with damaging effects on democracy and civil society," Castro said in the joint statement.

"Disinformation poses a significant threat to free and fair elections, and social media platforms must do more to address this growing threat in Latin America and the Caribbean," Luján said.

"This resolution urges social media companies to strengthen safety measures, collaborate with civil society and independent media, and boost transparency," he said. "It also urges governments across the Americas to invest in combatting misinformation and disinformation."