Social media is reshaping elections in Latin America, influencing voter behavior, polarization, and democratic processes.
The New Latin American Electoral Landscape
In the past decade, social media has evolved from being mere spaces for interaction and content sharing into true battlegrounds of political power and platforms for mobilizing social movements. In Latin America, where over 70% of the population uses digital platforms as their main source of information, their influence on electoral decisions has become increasingly evident—and indispensable.
Cyberpolitics —as defined by Fausto Muciño Durán in his book Ciberpolítica: el poder de las redes sociales— is not merely an extension of traditional political communication, but a new ecosystem of power where algorithms, disinformation, and virality have the ability to shape perceptions, mobilize voters, and redefine democratic legitimacy. It has also become an essential tool to amplify social voices seeking active participation in their environments.
Ahead of the upcoming electoral processes in Chile (November 16, 2025) and Honduras (November 30, 2025), social networks are consolidating as the central arena of political competition. In both countries, candidates are already deploying digital strategies that combine emotional closeness with their audiences, viral content campaigns aimed at attracting younger voters, and populist narratives—whether hopeful or fear-driven—depending on their political orientation. Supported by cyberpolitics, societies can aspire not only to better regulation but also to a fairer and more durable democracy. As Fausto Muciño Durán writes, “Democracy is a living being with millions of heads; it must be guided, educated, and above all, won day by day” (2023). We stand at the dawn of a new democratic era.
Chile 2025: Networks as Catalysts of Polarization
Chile will hold presidential elections on November 16, 2025, with a possible runoff on December 14 if no candidate secures an absolute majority. In a context of high disapproval of President Gabriel Boric (over 50%, according to Cadem), social media is expected to play a decisive role in rebuilding or sustaining public trust.
The main candidates reflect the country’s ideological diversity:
- José Antonio Kast (Republican Party – Conservative Right): Seeks to capitalize on discontent by replicating the “new global right” communication model with viral campaigns and short TikTok videos about crime and patriotism.
- Evelyn Matthei (Chile Vamos – Traditional Center-Right): Mayor and former minister, her digital strategy emphasizes order, security, and management. On Facebook and X (Twitter), her discourse on “migration control and fiscal discipline” resonates with voters over 40.
- Jeannette Jara (Unidad por Chile – Leftist Government Coalition): Former Minister of Labor and Communist Party candidate, promotes an institutional and social tone, highlighting government achievements and economic stability.
Other contenders—Franco Parisi, Marco Enríquez-Ominami, Johannes Kaiser, and Eduardo Artés—represent populist or niche options relying heavily on digital strategies and live broadcasts.
Chile faces a double-edged challenge: while social networks democratize political communication, they also amplify polarization. Researchers from the Digital Communication Observatory of the Catholic University warn that during the 2023 constitutional plebiscite, 60% of viral content on TikTok and X was either misleading or emotionally manipulative—a trend likely to resurface in 2025.
Digital platforms thus not only reflect political preferences—they shape them, particularly among voters aged 18–29, most of whom have never read a political platform but consume political video content daily.
A key logistical milestone this week was the Servel’s publication (October 25) of polling station member lists, coinciding with the start of televised and public campaign advertising, intensifying programmatic debate and political confrontation less than a month before the election.
Honduras 2025: Networks, Remittances, and Narratives of Change
In Honduras, the November 30, 2025 elections will renew the presidency, Congress, and local authorities. The country approaches this contest amid economic challenges, high migration rates, and tensions with the United States following its 2023 diplomatic rapprochement with China.
The main parties and candidates are:
- Rixi Moncada (LIBRE Party – Leftist Government Coalition): Former Finance Minister backed by President Xiomara Castro. Her campaign emphasizes anti-corruption and economic independence but faces criticism for her alignment with China and Venezuela.
- Nasry Asfura (National Party – Conservative): Former mayor of Tegucigalpa, represents traditionalism with “tough-on-crime” and stability messaging, spread mainly through Facebook and WhatsApp.
- Salvador Nasralla (Liberal Party – Reformist Center): Media personality and communicator, leading early polls and using TikTok as his main tool to engage young and urban middle-class voters.
In Honduras, social media plays a particularly complex role: it serves as a bridge between domestic voters and the diaspora. Over one million Hondurans live in the United States, and remittances account for nearly 25% of GDP. Their digital interactions significantly influence public opinion at home, especially when topics like migration or U.S. border policies go viral.
According to the Latin American Center for Political Studies (CELAP), 68% of Hondurans get their political news primarily from Facebook and WhatsApp—platforms that heighten exposure to misinformation chains, electoral rumors, and coordinated smear campaigns by automated accounts.
In previous elections, these same dynamics helped Xiomara Castro win the presidency in 2021 through viral messages of hope and change. Today, however, the landscape is less predictable: informational saturation and growing distrust in institutional media could empower more extreme narratives or emotionally charged digital candidates.
The Invisible Power of Algorithms
Digital platforms operate through algorithms designed to maximize attention and engagement—not informed debate. In electoral contexts, this means that emotionally charged content—whether driven by fear, anger, or euphoria—spreads more rapidly.
As Fausto Muciño Durán notes in Ciberpolítica: el poder de las redes sociales, networks “have replaced old rallies with ecosystems of influence, where the citizen becomes a prosumer: a simultaneous producer and consumer of political narratives” (Muciño Durán, 2023, p. 78).
This phenomenon reshapes traditional campaigning: candidates now depend not only on TV or radio (still key mediums) but on the user’s instant reaction—who validates or cancels messages in seconds with a like or share. Platforms, in turn, prioritize what drives interaction, regardless of accuracy. Impact within minimal timeframes has become the new political currency—success equals election.
Regional Examples and Trends
Recent Latin American elections offer valuable lessons for 2025:
- In Mexico 2024, candidate Claudia Sheinbaum dominated the digital conversation with over 15 million weekly interactions, consolidating her lead.
- In Argentina 2023, Javier Milei leveraged TikTok to craft an anti-establishment narrative, viralizing simple phrases that transcended traditional media.
- In Ecuador 2023, Daniel Noboa connected with younger audiences through approachable campaigns and live Instagram sessions.
These examples demonstrate that electoral success now depends less on ideology or policy, and more on the narrative and aesthetic power of digital messaging. Whoever masters the algorithm often masters the political narrative.
Ethical and Democratic Challenges
As social media becomes central to political life, critical questions arise around electoral fairness, data protection, and information accuracy. The use of artificial intelligence to create deepfakes, the proliferation of automated bots, and algorithmic manipulation threaten transparency and informed voting.
Organizations such as the OAS and UN have begun recommending digital literacy programs and network observatories to monitor hate speech, false propaganda, and foreign interference—especially in countries with fragile institutions.
Both Chile and Honduras face the challenge of ensuring fair processes in an environment where communication is no longer regulated by the media, but by clicks.
Conclusion: The Vote of the Future Will Be Digital
The 2025 elections in Chile and Honduras will confirm an irreversible regional trend: politics now happens online. Social media is no longer a complement—it is the main arena for symbolic and emotional competition.
As Fausto Muciño Durán warns, “Power no longer belongs to those who shout the loudest, but to those who go viral.” In Latin America, where connectivity is advancing faster than regulation, the challenge will be to preserve plurality and truth amid an ocean of algorithmic information.
In the words of Esteban Fernández, cited in Muciño Durán’s work, “Technology has erased borders” (p.44, 2023). Social media is enabling transformation—from the weakness of misinformation to the strength of human conviction. The vote of the future, more than a physical act, will be the sum of millions of digital interactions that ultimately determine who governs—and how democracy is understood—in the 21st century.
