When a democratic government fulfills or, in some respects, exceeds its promises, the legitimate opposition struggles to perform its democratic duty. However, some lines crossed in the Dominican Republic break the fundamental principles of political ethics and the sense of the state and can never be crossed.
In a democratic country, the work of the opposition is crucial as it acts as a check on the government in power. They have the obligation to identify any mistakes of the executive or the implementation of unfair measures that go against the interests of the people.
However, when the opposition, which may consist of one or more parties, confuses the people’s interests with its own, democracy faces a problem because what is legitimate becomes an obstacle to the development of societies.
Moreover, if you add the use of “dirty tricks” through propaganda systems supported by certain media, and especially through perfectly orchestrated social media campaigns, the opposition becomes terribly human, unjust, and therefore corrupted and fallacious. Corruption against the right to truthful information is the worst form of corruption.
For decades, I have written, published, and taught in forums, conferences, and universities that the worst corruption that can exist in a democracy is that of the media because what is for sale is freedom itself. However, the development of new technologies has created another, even more harmful, corruption, which is the impunity of social networks.
Have the different platforms become a haven for hoaxes and fake news that are then picked up by many media outlets, a new technique to communicate to citizens who do not accept social networks as a free and independent means of communication? This potential phenomenon should perhaps be the subject of a legal and professional investigation from the perspective of applied sociology, and if so, it should be conducted through legal application of civil and criminal law, even though at first glance, it is manipulated content that only intends to offer the public a false reality that goes viral and then becomes part of the media. From there, we enter a dynamic where the truth has lost the battle.
The truth can never be distorted in any system of coexistence, let alone in a democracy, as it represents and undoubtedly is for the use of freedom of citizens, the free people in general, the adjustment between understanding and reality.
Social media and the different streaming platforms have also become an essential political weapon, especially if one wants the opposition to be totally devoid of ethics, human dignity, and the values expected of a democratic opposition.
With these new tools, people can be manipulated very easily and without any responsibility. There is no need to show one’s face; it suffices to create a fake profile and launch the message with a catchy hashtag. The information is barely developed, only 300 characters accompanied by well-chosen images or videos. Unlike the media, networks do not have a newspaper or publishing company to assume the legal consequences of false information or analysis. Social networks do not require the same type of control and document analysis as the media. Networks can publish and disseminate information out of context or outdated. The problem is that the opposition uses this content, giving it a veneer of truth, to wear down the government.
However, citizens consume more and more content on networks and less on free and independent media.
It is easier, and those who use what is published with these tools as part of their political strategy know it, a gross mistake of the ethical politician who confuses these tools with an ideology, ideas, thoughtful social and political strategy, and government programs, benefiting from those magicians, gurus, or trilateralists with ties who use marketing rather than debate and truth.
This phenomenon occurs in almost every country in the world. We see it in how “pro-Trump” movements continue to spread content to make Americans believe that there was electoral fraud in 2020, even though it has already been proven that it was not the case.
Yet millions continue to believe it due to the spread of social networks, streaming platforms, and podcasts. The Dominican Republic is not new to this, and the lack of ethics and scruples of an opposition formed by parties that think power belongs to them by the grace of God leads to a situation bordering on disinformation. For the PLD and Leonel Fernández, the only goal is to reclaim the presidency by any means and with all methods, even if they need a network of disinformation, hoaxes, and fake news to convey to the public a reality that does not correspond to what is actually happening in the Dominican Republic under the presidency of Luis Abinader.
When they resort to immoral tactics and lack democratic dignity as their only political strategy, it means that, firstly, the sole objective of the PLD and Leonel Fernández is to topple Luis Abinader by any means, even if it is with lies as a banner. Secondly, if they only have this system to oppose the Dominican president’s administration and his new way of governance, then the opposition supports and praises President Abinader.
Finally, it seems incredible that Leonel resorts to such tactics when he knows what it is like to govern, but perhaps what he has not learned during his 12 years of presidency is to be humanly and democratically worthy of the office he holds. The Dominican people, in their popular wisdom, know this and are not ready to forget it as those who continue to use the technique of deception do.
