Gustavo Petro warns about the influence of algorithms in electoral processes in Mexico and Brazil
The former president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has issued a blunt warning during his recent visit to Mexico City. Within the framework of a keynote lecture delivered at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the former leader pointed out that both Mexico and Brazil could face significant risks in their future democratic processes due to the strategic use of algorithms and tools characteristic of so-called technofascism.
Petro maintains that these technological mechanisms were decisive in the recent Colombian electoral contest, facilitating, in his view, the triumph of the far-right. During his presentation, the former head of state was emphatic in pointing out that this system is not only a local threat, but a trend that seeks to expand with the approval of influential political sectors in the United States.
It is the system that they want to expand and it is not right. Mexico is in danger and Brazil is next. These methods have legitimacy within the political class that is currently leading the United States.
Gustavo Petro during his lecture at UNAM
Complaints about technological intervention
The former president detailed that, in the Colombian case, a scheme composed of approximately two million bots had been key to tipping the electoral balance. Petro linked this alleged interference to figures in American politics and asserted that the process was under the scrutiny of international actors who favored the final result.
Meeting with Claudia Sheinbaum and agenda in Mexico
The conference at UNAM, which recorded high student attendance, took place after a private meeting between Petro and the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, at the National Palace. Although the details of the meeting were kept confidential, the former president highlighted that the conversation revolved around progressivism, humanism, and the management of public policies.
- Petro revealed that Sheinbaum extended an invitation for him to collaborate on intellectual and academic coordination in Mexico, an offer he declined to focus on his projects in Colombia.
- During his stay in the Mexican capital, the former president also held meetings with prominent figures of the regional left, such as former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa.
- The visit marked Petro’s first trip abroad after finishing his presidential term on August 7.
Critique of the technological and economic model
Taking advantage of the space, the former Colombian leader delved into the topics of his work “Political Economy of the Climate Crisis.” In this area, he severely questioned the neoliberal model and the excessive influence of tech magnates like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, whom he pointed out for their role in shaping the current global power landscape.
