A DIVIDED NATION: ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN SOCIAL NETWORKS BEFORE THE PLEBISCITE ON THE PEACE AGREEMENT WITH THE FARC-EP

Abstract

The role of social media in the rise of political polarization has become a central debate since 2016 when Trump’s election as president of the United States and the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom took place. That same year, the plebiscite to ratify the peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas in Colombia was rejected after a campaign marked by polarizing debates on traditional and social media. This polarization vis-à-vis the peace agreement continues to be central in most national political debates. This paper analyzes how political polarization deepened during the peace negotiations on social media platforms. Based on the analysis of 11,621 most commented posts on Facebook pages and groups collected between 2014 and 2017, it demonstrates that violent communication fosters anger and fear among users. In a post-conflict context, this polarization is not limited to rejecting the opponents’ ideas but reproduces a vocabulary and dynamics typical of the armed conflict. Therefore, the article highlights the need for a peacebuilding strategy in cyberspace that enables a dialogue between opposing political opinions in Colombia.