Gustavo Petro proposes global digital activism to counter election bots

Former Colombian President Gustavo Petro has proposed the creation of a global “united digital activism” network to counter the use of artificial intelligence and bots in manipulating elections across Latin America. Speaking at the Zócalo Book Fair in Mexico City, Petro specifically highlighted Brazil as a target, suggesting that thousands of people worldwide should post daily messages in Portuguese to support Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He argued this human-led strategy is necessary to offset the influence of bots capable of generating thousands of posts daily for figures such as Flávio Bolsonaro.

During the same event, Petro issued sharp criticisms of international political figures. He referred to U.S. President Donald Trump as “Hitler to the tenth power,” citing threats made regarding Iran as an attempt to liquidate an ancient civilization. Petro also addressed the conflict in Gaza, criticizing what he described as a “political apartheid” regarding the lack of accountability for leaders involved in the humanitarian crisis.