ABSTRACT
The end of the Cold War coupled with the advent of internet and social media have brought about a surge of disinformation throughout the Latin America. On the one hand, populist politicians have used the internet and social media to get elected and/or to govern. On the other hand, non-democratic regimes in the region have capitalized on these tools to stay in power. In parallel, non-democratic regimes both within and outside of the region have resorted to disinformation to influence countries throughout Latin America, and ultimately impact their security and democratic governance. Despite attempts to combat disinformation—both at the country and region levels—the region’s security and democracy remain vulnerable to disinformation threats. This chapter explores how disinformation has challenged Latin America’s democracy and security since the end of the Cold War. It starts with a theoretical background on disinformation, followed by an assessment of Latin America’s experience with disinformation.
