AI-powered propaganda, censorship of words, and criminalization

One month after Abelardo de la Espriella took office in Colombia, we spoke with Wilson Gómez , PhD in Social Sciences, professor at the University of Tolima and member of the CLACSO Steering Committee for Colombia, to analyze the political, social and media impact of the first 30 days of government.

In this interview, Gómez goes into more detail about:

The "Bukele effect" and the digital machinery: The creation of content with artificial intelligence to simulate popular support, the capture of more than 300.000 personal data through churches and job portals, and the communication shielding of the Executive.

Censorship and discursive warfare: The directive to eliminate official terms such as "girls", "peasant" or "agrarian reform" from State communications, and the appointment of ultraconservative figures in the Ministry of Education.

Criminalization of protest and solidarity: The case of the department of Tolima, where university students and farmers fighting forest fires were labeled by the Government as belonging to "dissidents" or "front lines".

Economic contradiction and adjustment: The shift from austerity promises to a budget inflated by 60 trillion pesos with serious repercussions on public debt and social spending.

Improvisation in the face of emergency: The consequences of institutional breakdown and lack of coordination with the previous administration in the delayed humanitarian response following the recent earthquake in the country.

Extractive offensive: The repeal of environmental protection and prior consultation decrees to benefit mega-mining, putting territorial and food sovereignty at risk.