Voters from Puerto Rico have gained significant clout since Hurricane Maria accelerated the outflow of residents to the mainland U.S. Although U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico are unable to participate in presidential elections, they can cast their votes once they move to a state. This year, the U.S. boasts over 36 million eligible Hispanic voters, with Puerto Ricans forming the second-largest cohort within that demographic. They are notably represented in crucial swing states, including Pennsylvania. It’s no surprise that international propaganda campaigns are specifically aimed at Hispanic voters, particularly those from Puerto Rico.
Digital propaganda
The Wall Street Journal has criticized both Russia and Iran for these activities. The New York Times has added China to this group. Social media platforms like X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, along with lesser-known sites such as Gab, are hosting numerous Russian accounts and hundreds of Chinese ones, all masquerading as Americans in a bid to create discord.
AI technologies enable these governments to focus on certain demographics. For instance, Iran has circulated conspiracy theories and anti-American sentiments among Islamic communities in Michigan. Meanwhile, China has deployed disinformation against particular candidates in Texas and Tennessee. Artificial intelligence not only assists these actors in pinpointing specific groups they aim to influence but also helps craft messages that resemble American speech. ChatGPT indicates that foreign entities have leveraged these tools to analyze and address particular comments on social media. Furthermore, these technologies enable the creation of misleading content in both natural-sounding Spanish and English. This kind of technology was unavailable in past elections.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT aid propagandists in creating websites filled with false information. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has reported disabling numerous accounts from countries such as China, Russia, Japan, and others engaged in such activities. NewsGuard identified a single Russian individual who established 171 distinct websites, collectively publishing over 50,000 articles that propagate fake news and conspiracies. These articles have been further promoted by other Russian accounts.
Focusing on Hispanic voters
Pew Research revealed that 21% of Hispanic voters prefer obtaining their news from social media—a notably high figure compared to other racial groups in the U.S. Not only Iran, China, and Russia, but Cuba has also been involved in efforts to influence Hispanic voters. This inclination could render these voters more susceptible to misinformation.
Once disinformation proliferates online, Spanish-speaking voters tend to share it. Monitoring organizations may struggle to detect misleading information as effectively in Spanish compared to English. For instance, assertions that Democrats aim to implement socialist policies akin to those in Venezuela are circulated in Spanish through YouTube and WhatsApp. As reported by The Washington Post, “Spanish-language lies tend to persist longer than their English counterparts.”
NPR discovered that social media platforms generally show less vigilance regarding misinformation in Spanish, and WhatsApp, which is particularly favored by Latinos, lacks any form of fact-checking.
Concerning Puerto Rico
Foreign propaganda websites attract Puerto Rican voters with news updates about Puerto Rico in both English and Spanish. A case in point is Actualidad.rt, a Russian news outlet that provides extensive coverage of Puerto Rican news. They also publish articles such as “The People’s Republic of China in 75 Years: Key Factors Behind Its Success.” This article claims, “It is not coincidental that when the Chinese refer to the founding of the PRC, they use the term jiefang, meaning liberation. The extensive efforts by the West to discredit this nation render it challenging to truly grasp the experiences and rapid development of its populace. On its 75th anniversary, it’s worth taking a moment to learn about this remarkable social development success story.” After more blatant propaganda, it concludes with, “As long as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to yield results, it will retain power. This is the reason the West aims to hinder China’s progress, lest more individuals realize that a communist organization can thrive and create a different system aimed at uplifting the majority populace. The concern is that citizens might begin to demand drastic changes to their deteriorating living standards.”
Iran’s AfroMajority website features highly exaggerated articles about Puerto Rico alongside left-leaning views of U.S. elections, while Russia generates fake news videos with a right-leaning bias. Foreign disinformation endeavors merge credible reporting with targeted pieces conveying specific messages, compounded by what the federal government has categorized as “a firehose of disinformation” aiming to generate doubt and division. The amalgamation of truth and falsehood simplifies the process of misleading the audience.
For Puerto Rico, just like the rest of the United States, dubious claims regarding electoral irregularities are designed to instill uncertainty in voters and decrease their willingness to accept the outcomes of the upcoming November elections.
Iranian Campaign Uses Puerto Rico, Israel Issues to Influence U.S. Discourse
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