As part of the annual “Democratic Erosion” undergraduate series, Jamie Horowitz examines the potential effects of disinformation in Colombia—in particular, disinformation campaigns related to the country’s 2016 peace deal referendum and the 2018 Colombian presidential election. Horowitz finds that well-known politicians are primarily responsible for disseminating disinformation in Colombia, which then circulates unbridled on WhatsApp. Disinformation campaigns, she argues, serve to polarize the population, which, in turn, leads to democratic erosion that manifests in low trust in electoral procedures and government.
Jamie Horowitz
Jamie Horowitz is a senior at Arizona State University majoring in global studies and earning a certificate in Russian and East European studies. Her current research for her undergraduate thesis is focused on Russian disinformation in Colombia, Latvia, and the United States, and the geopolitical and historical intersectionality of disinformation narratives in each country. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs.