Digital networks and transnational activism: the reconfiguration of political struggle in Latin America after 2010

Abstract

This article examines the reconfiguration of political mobilizations in post-2010 Latin America, highlighting the role of digital platforms as arenas for symbolic dispute and transnational resistance. Using a qualitative and critical approach grounded in political economy of communication and decolonial epistemologies, the study analyzes digital repertoires of collective action in contexts such as Chile’s estallido social, Colombia’s paro nacional, and Brazil’s #EleNão movement. Results reveal ambivalences: while networks amplify protest visibility, they are mediated by extractive algorithmic logics, misinformation, and shadow banning. The study concludes that digital insurgency requires democratic regulation, critical pedagogy, and alternative infrastructures to foster emancipatory digital citizenship.