The issue has been discussed here since the 2021 election and has become increasingly prevalent in the failed processes to draft a new Constitution to replace the one imposed in 1980 by the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
However, a journalistic investigation by the CHV channel revealed for the first time the specific procedures and identities of those allegedly behind these practices.
One of them, Ricardo Inaiman, the operator of one of the master accounts used to spread false information, claimed that he was simply exercising his right to freedom of expression.
Another is Patricio Góngora, a member of the board of directors of the nationwide television station Channel 13.
Frequent targets of these campaigns are presidential candidates Evelyn Matthei, from the traditional right-wing coalition Chile Vamos, and Jeannette Jara, from the government's pact of left-wing, progressive, and social-democratic parties, plus the Christian Democrats. Jara stated this Thursday that "the CHV report confirmed something extremely serious: bot manipulation is no longer a suspicion, it's a reality that damages democracy."
This term refers to programs and digital tools created to disseminate information, generate supposed messages of support, so-called likes, or mass reposts intended to create a distorted image among the population.
They instill hatred, act violently, and without any scruples, and it's not surprising that they come from the far right, said the candidate for La Moneda, who demanded that José Antonio Kast, of the Republican Party, speak out.
Representative Ana María Gazmuri, of Humanist Action, also mentioned that an army of far-right bots operates in the shadows, manipulates public opinion, and threatens democracy.
Recently, manipulated videos circulated to give the impression that Matthei suffered from Alzheimer's, which she called a "disgusting campaign" by the Republican Party and threatened to take the case to court, but ultimately backed down and never addressed the issue again. The Chilean government issued an official statement today underscoring its concern about the seriousness of the case.
Because we are concerned about protecting civic coexistence and democracy, we have criticized the campaigns deployed from anonymous accounts from the outset, the statement states.
The document, read by spokesperson Camila Vallejo, states that debate and free expression are part of democracy, but lies and hatred orchestrated on social media undermine them, and it is necessary for those involved to speak out on the issue.
