In recent months, Latino exile communities across the United States have been caught in a whirlwind of misinformation, with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the target of misleading claims labeling her as a socialist or communist. The spread of these claims has been fueled by viral memes, doctored images, and a series of false narratives circulating on social media. These accusations, which stem from deeply rooted fears of communism, have found fertile ground in communities where many individuals fled repressive regimes in countries such as Cuba and Venezuela.
One notable example is a fabricated video in which Kamala Harris is shown posing in front of a sign for the Revolutionary Communists of America, a far-left group. The video, created by a pro-Trump meme team, garnered over 420,000 views and was widely shared by Spanish-language media outlets. Despite being debunked, it continued to spread offline, perpetuating doubts among Latino voters. According to Evelyn Pérez-Verdía, a cultural strategist in South Florida, this growing belief is exacerbating fears among voters who escaped communist regimes, making them particularly vulnerable to misinformation.
Weaponizing Genuine Fears of Communism
The Latino community, which comprises 36.2 million eligible voters in the U.S., represents a vital demographic in key swing states like Florida, Nevada, and Arizona. Traditionally, many Latino voters have leaned towards the Democratic Party. However, as concerns over socialism and communism rise, Republicans have gained traction, especially among Cuban and Venezuelan immigrants. These voters, scarred by their experiences with repressive regimes, are particularly sensitive to any political rhetoric that evokes memories of their homelands.
Samantha Barrios, a Venezuelan-American living in Miami, expressed concern over the use of fearmongering tactics by right-leaning Spanish media outlets. She noted that these outlets manipulate the trauma of exiles by portraying Democratic candidates like Kamala Harris as potential threats. While many of these concerns are rooted in genuine fears, experts like Pérez-Verdía argue that the Democrats’ failure to address these fears effectively has left the door open for misinformation to thrive.
The Spread of ‘Communist Kamala Harris’ Misinformation
The viral nature of false claims linking Kamala Harris to communism has extended far beyond Latino communities. According to the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA), misinformation targeting the vice president has spiked across multiple social media platforms. Notable figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump have shared AI-generated images of Kamala Harris in communist attire, further fueling the spread of these narratives. In one instance, Trump referred to Kamala Harris as a “Marxist,” which led to a surge in online searches for terms like “Marxist” and “Kamala Harris’s father.”
Laura Zommer, founder of the Spanish-language fact-checking site Factchequeado, highlighted the unprecedented volume of AI-generated and doctored images targeting Kamala Harris in this election cycle. These fake images and documents have continued to be shared widely, despite repeated debunking efforts by fact-checkers. In the week following the presidential debate, a false membership card purportedly linking Kamala Harris to the Russian communist party gained significant traction, according to Meta’s own metrics.
Fear of Sliding into Communism Shapes Voter Perceptions
Although the Democratic Party does not advocate for socialism or communism, the narrative that it does has taken hold in some circles. Figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who identify as democratic socialists, have contributed to the perception that the party is moving leftward. However, Kamala Harris, who previously supported Medicare for All, has since distanced herself from policies that align with socialism, such as the abolition of private healthcare.
Despite this, right-wing influencers have weaponized her policy proposals, such as cracking down on price gouging, to stoke fears of a communist future. Duke Machado, a Latino Republican activist, believes that if the Democrats win, the U.S. risks becoming like Cuba or Venezuela. For many exiles, even the faintest resemblance to the policies of their former governments is enough to trigger fears of losing their newfound freedoms. This sentiment, whether based on fact or fiction, continues to shape the political landscape as the 2024 elections approach.
