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Sexist tropes and misinformation swirl online as Mexico prepares to elect its first female leader
https://apnews.com/article/mexico-election-sheinbaum-facebook-lopez-obrador-79adddaf8300f30af51fddbbf3165216Sexist tropes and misinformation swirl online as Mexico prepares to elect its first female leader
BY DAVID KLEPPER
Updated 12:19 AM EDT, June 1, 2024
Mexican voters are poised to elect their first female president, a cause of celebration for many that has also touched off a flurry of false and misogynist online claims, blurring the lines behind fact and fiction.
The two leading candidates, both women, have had to respond to demeaning attacks about their appearance, their credentials and their ability to lead the nation.
The candidate considered the favorite in Sunday’s contest, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, has also faced slurs about her Jewish background as well as repeatedly debunked claims she was born in Hungary. This week, in an apparent bid to undermine her candidacy, a social media account impersonating a legitimate news outlet posted fake, AI-generated audio of Sheinbaum admitting that her campaign was failing in a key Mexican state.
[...]
“We have a general atmosphere of disinformation here in Mexico, but it’s slightly different from what is happening in India, or the U.S.,” said Manuel Alejandro Guerrero, a professor and communications researcher at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
[...]
BY DAVID KLEPPER
Updated 12:19 AM EDT, June 1, 2024
Mexican voters are poised to elect their first female president, a cause of celebration for many that has also touched off a flurry of false and misogynist online claims, blurring the lines behind fact and fiction.
The two leading candidates, both women, have had to respond to demeaning attacks about their appearance, their credentials and their ability to lead the nation.
The candidate considered the favorite in Sunday’s contest, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, has also faced slurs about her Jewish background as well as repeatedly debunked claims she was born in Hungary. This week, in an apparent bid to undermine her candidacy, a social media account impersonating a legitimate news outlet posted fake, AI-generated audio of Sheinbaum admitting that her campaign was failing in a key Mexican state.
[...]
“We have a general atmosphere of disinformation here in Mexico, but it’s slightly different from what is happening in India, or the U.S.,” said Manuel Alejandro Guerrero, a professor and communications researcher at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
[...]