Resumen

RIVERA MAGOS, Sergio  y  GONZALEZ PURECO, Gabriela. Populism, misinformation and political polarization in social media communications by Latin America’s populist presidents. Rev. mex. opinión pública [online]. 2024, n.36, pp.79-107.  Epub 04-Feb-2025. ISSN 2448-4911.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fcpys.24484911e.2024.36.86828.

This article presents the results of research that examines the interplay between populism, disinformation, and polarization in the communication of five Latin American political leaders identified as populists: Alberto Fernández (Argentina), Luis Arce (Bolivia), Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico), Gustavo Petro (Colombia), and Nayib Bukele (El Salvador). Using a methodology that combines data extraction from social media with content analysis, the populist narratives, disinformation strategies, and polarization present in the communication of these leaders were analyzed. The findings reveal the constant and significant presence of populism in the communication of these leaders, characterized by references to the virtuous people and the general will, as well as the recurrent use of the dichotomy people and elite. Furthermore, it is identified that disinformation is a significant feature in the communication of these leaders, representing more than 50% of their content. This includes the use of deceptive content, false connections, and hate speech, often employed to validate and disseminate false information that supports the populist narrative. Polarization emerges as a dominant trend in the communication of these leaders, characterized by the constant use of terms like they and we, as well as the expression of political emotions such as justice, joy, or anger.

Palabras llave : Populism; Disinformation; Polarization; Politics; Social Media.

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