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" ! COMMITTEE PRINT 

112TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

S. PRT. 

2011

112–26 

LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS 

NEED TO ‘‘FRIEND’’ SOCIAL MEDIA 

AND TECHNOLOGY 

A MINORITY STAFF REPORT 

PREPARED FOR THE USE OF THE 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

OCTOBER 5, 2011 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations 

Available via World Wide Web: 

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts, Chairman

BARBARA BOXER, California 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania 

JIM WEBB, Virginia 

JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire 

CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware 

RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana 

BOB CORKER, Tennessee 

JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho 

MARCO RUBIO, Florida 

JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma 

JIM DEMINT, South Carolina 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 

JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming 

MIKE LEE, Utah 

WILLIAM DANVERS, Staff Director

KENNETH A. MYERS, JR., Republican Staff Director

(II)

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Letter of Transmittal ............................................................................................... v 

What is Social Media? ............................................................................................. 1 

Why Should the U.S. Government Care About Access to the Internet and 

the Growth of Social Media in Latin America? ................................................. 2 

Latin America Market Observations .............................................................. 5 

Country Case Study Observations .................................................................. 6 

Brazil .......................................................................................................... 7 

Colombia .................................................................................................... 7 

Mexico ........................................................................................................ 8 

The Role the U.S. Plays in the Expansion of Social Media in Latin America 9 

Foreign Engagement of U.S. Foreign Policy ...................................................... 9 

Strengthening Society by Strengthening Communities ................................ 10 

Communications and Technological Skills Enhancement ............................. 11 

Infrastructure Capability and Utilization Improvement ............................... 11 

Critical Risk Minimization .............................................................................. 12 

Recommendations: How the U.S. Can Further Expand Social Media in Latin 

America ................................................................................................................. 12 

Implement Technological Training Programs ................................................ 13 

Establish Basic Information Technology Literacy Outreach ........................ 13 

Provide Support for Local Technological Development to Create Language 

Resources ....................................................................................................... 14 

Generate Low-Requirement Infrastructure .................................................... 14 

Assess Critical Risks ........................................................................................ 15 

Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 16 

Appendix I ............................................................................................................ 19 

(III)

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 

UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, Washington, DC, October 5, 2011. 

DEAR COLLEAGUES: 

I directed my senior Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer 

for Latin America and the Carribean, Carl Meacham, to assess the 

U.S. Department of State’s efforts to promote and strengthen democracy in Latin America through the increased use of social 

media and technology. 

In 2011, social media usage is booming and will likely continue 

to do so in the coming years. Earlier this month, it was reported 

that Facebook now has more than 800 million active users worldwide. Likewise, Twitter reports that it has 100 million active users, 

which marks an 82% increase in activity from 2010. With more 

than 50% of the world’s population under 30 years of age, the social 

media and technology resources that are so popular within this demographic will continue to revolutionize communications in the future. These technologies can affect political change, improve government efficiency, and contribute to economic growth. 

Through the wave of demonstrations occurring in the Arab world 

that began in December 2010, known as the Arab Spring, the world 

witnessed how regular citizens can use social media and information platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google to mobilize 

against repressive governments. 

Despite Latin America’s broad social and economic progress, 

many countries in the region still face challenges to democracy 

similar to those recently seen in the Middle East. In the extreme 

cases, countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua are led by 

authoritarian leaders who curtail civil and political freedoms. But, 

in general, the region’s governments still have much work to do to 

ensure the rule of law, to maintain the security of their citizens, 

and to address a myriad of other social challenges. 

Though many Latin American governments still face these problems, Latin America does have the advantage of more mobile phone 

subscriptions, Internet users, broadband access, and secure Internet servers than the Middle East. 

Opportunities abound in the region to make government more effective in the provision of services to regular citizens through social 

media and information platforms. The United States, in particular, 

has a vested interest in Latin America’s development for many reasons. These include Latin America’s status as one of the United 

States’ fastest growing export markets. Additionally, stronger, 

more stable democracies and economies in Latin America generally 

reduce illegal immigration to the United States. 

(V)

vi 

Unfortunately, Latin American governments have been slow to 

adopt social media and technology. While the Government of Chile 

is one of the few governments in Latin America to provide services 

online, only Colombia has an established budget for increasing 

technological connectivity and social media use. 

Social media and technology initiatives in Latin America based 

on political, economic, and social realities will be crucial to the success of associated U.S. government efforts in the region. Mr. 

Meacham’s report provides significant insight and important recommendations for the U.S. Department of State’s efforts to promote 

the effective use of social media, to strengthen democracy where it 

has taken root, and to promote democracy in countries where it is 

eroding or does not exist. I hope that you find the report helpful. 

I look forward to working with you on these issues and welcome 

any comments you may have. 

Sincerely, 

RICHARD G. LUGAR, 

Ranking Member. 

(1) 

1 Adam Ostrow, ‘‘Facebook now has 800 million users,’’ Mashable, 22 September 2011, 

http://mashable.com/2011/09/22/facebook-800-million-users/. 

2 Ben Charny, ‘‘Google to acquire YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock,’’ Market Watch, 9 October 

2006, http://www.marketwatch.com/story/google-to-acquire-youtube-for-165-billion-in-stock. 3 Charlie White, ‘‘Reaching 200 Million Accounts: Twitter’s Explosive Growth,’’ Mashable, 16 

July 2011, http://mashable.com/2011/07/16/twitter-accounts-200-million/. 

LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS NEED TO 

‘‘FRIEND’’ SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY 

The social networking phenomenon and the expansion of 

lightning fast information technology shrink the world in 

wonderfully transformative ways that we have not yet 

fully comprehended.—SENATOR RICHARD G. LUGAR, Commencement Address at Franklin & Marshall College, May 

14, 2011 

At the request of Senator Richard Lugar, the committee ranking 

member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee minority senior staff 

member for Latin America and the Carribean, Carl Meacham, met 

with U.S. Department of State staff, senior foreign diplomats, and 

industry officials over the course of several months to research how 

social media and technology could be used to promote and strengthen democracy in Latin America (see Appendix I for complete list of 

meetings). 

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA? 

Social media are Internet-based media used for social interaction 

in a variety of forms including social networking, content sharing, 

and blogging. Major advances were made in the development of social media in the early 2000s. While social media have existed since 

the late 1990s, early sites did not amass large groups of users because most people did not have large extended online networks of 

friends at that time and many users found the functionality of 

these sites limited. More specifically, these media took off with the 

rapid growth of MySpace, whose popularity largely went unchallenged until the creation of a Harvard College-based social network 

site called Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. As of September 

2011, Facebook had over 800 million users worldwide.1 Other examples of popular social media sites include YouTube and Twitter. 

YouTube filled a vacuum by letting users easily upload videos to 

share worldwide, and in November 2006, Google purchased 

YouTube for $1.65 billion, and now offers it as a Google product.2

Similarly, Twitter, a micro-blogging site founded in July 2006, has 

approximately 200 million users today who share 350 million 

tweets, or messages of 140 characters or less, per day in addition 

to photos and additional web links.3

2 

WHY SHOULD THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CARE ABOUT ACCESS TO THE

INTERNET AND THE GROWTH OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN LATIN AMERICA? 

At a time when U.S. political influence is waning in the region, 

it is clear that U.S.-driven technological trends could redefine relationships with many countries in Latin America. Here is why: 

• Promoting Internet freedom is aligned with the U.S. strategic 

goal of strengthening civil society worldwide. This is consistent 

with core American beliefs regarding freedom of expression 

and unencumbered access to information. 

• Greater Internet connectivity opens new opportunities for the 

United States and for countries in Latin America. Latin American countries are among the fastest growing export markets 

for the United States. The growth of this market provides the 

opportunity for innovation and commercial gains for United 

States technological industry and for Latin American entrepreneurs. 

• Greater Internet connectivity and the use of social media platforms allow individuals in Latin America to establish links or 

‘‘connect’’ with individuals in the United States and individuals 

in countries around the world in all spheres of life—culture, 

politics, business, and academia. (This is especially important 

for the development of rural or agriculturally-based communities in Latin American countries. With increased access to information, contacts, and markets through new technologies, 

these communities are more likely to get better market price 

information, boost their income, and improve their standard of 

living). 

• Social media can strengthen civil society and the public sphere 

in Latin American countries. These technologies can allow for 

individuals to engage more effectively in the formation and 

function of their own societies. 

• Social media can strengthen the ability of governments to be 

more responsive to their citizens. Through social media, governments can provide services to their constituents and communicate directly with them. The use of this tool can improve 

government effectiveness, make for fulfilled citizens in Latin 

American countries, and help bolster stable democracies in the 

entire region. 

Latin America represents a unique case in today’s global environment because it is a region containing diverse countries that share 

significant untapped potential for social progress driven by improved public dialogue. In particular, the characteristics of Latin 

American social media use and engagement of connectivity resources delineated below indicate that this area could be primed for 

substantial positive change in a manner similar in nature, if not 

in process, to that recently observed in the Middle East. 

• Latin America possesses the potential to overstep North America’s lead in social media use in part due to the proliferation 

of Internet accessible mobile devices in the region. 

• With regard to social networking, 82% of Latin Americans with 

Internet access use social networks, making Latin Americans 

3 

4 Interview with Debbie Frost, Director of International Communications and Public Policy at 

Facebook, 30 August 2011. 5 Ibid. 

6Kenneth Rapoza, ‘‘Brazil Keeps Google’s Orkut Relevant, Tops Facebook,’’ Forbes, 6 April 

2011, 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/04/06/brazil-keeps-googles-orkut-relevant-topsfacebook/. 7 ‘‘World Development Indicators Databank,’’ World Bank Data Catalog, The World Bank 

2010, http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators. 8 Ibid. 

9 Ibid. 

the second most active social networking population behind 

North America. • According to Debbie Frost, Director of International Communications and Public Policy at Facebook, Facebook has over 100 

million users in Latin America, and the top five countries in 

terms of number of users include Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Venezuela.4

• Currently, Brazil’s Facebook user base is approaching 25 million users, and in 2010, Brazil’s Facebook user base doubled 

every six months. To reflect Brazil’s rapid growth in users, 

Facebook recently opened an advertising sales office in Sao 

Paulo, Brazil.5 Orkut, a Google social networking site that 

never gained popularity in the United States, is currently one 

of the most popular sites in Brazil with an estimated 46 million users.6

• With a mobile penetration rate of over 90% and low fixed 

broadband Internet capacity, Latin America is poised to benefit 

from cheaper mobile Internet and data packages.7 The plot 

below illustrates a country by country breakdown of Latin 

American mobile subscriptions.8

Note: The United States has 97 mobile subscriptions per 100 persons.9

• The low network connectivity requirements in Latin America 

make social media like Twitter extremely accessible in areas of 

high mobile penetration. Users can text their tweets using 

short message service (SMS), which vastly widens the scope of 

users reached. Hence, sharing news or organizing groups using 

4 

10These figures represent approximated numbers for 2011 provided by industry experts. 11 ‘‘World Development Indicators Databank,’’ World Bank Data Catalog, The World Bank 

2010, http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators. No data was available for Haiti or Honduras 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. No data was available for Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, or Argentina. 

Twitter becomes relatively easy if one has access to a phone 

with SMS capabilities. 

• As millions of Latin Americans access the Internet via mobile 

phones, Latin America will become an even larger consumer of 

data and a more substantial participant in social networking 

communities. According to industry experts interviewed for 

this report, approximately 215 million Latin Americans, or 

36% of the regional population, are able to access Internet by 

any means.10 The plot below illustrates a country by country 

breakdown of Latin American broadband subscriptions.11

Note: The United States has 28 broadband subscriptions per 100 persons.12

• Broadband Internet access penetration amongst Latin American countries could exceed 30% by 2014. 

• A major component of the success of social media in Latin 

America lies in the existence of connectivity resources (i.e. 

SMS, smartphone), and the primary issue with technological 

connectivity in Latin America is a dearth of adequate infrastructure. The plot below illustrates a country-by-country 

breakdown of Latin American Internet bandwidth.13

5 

14 ‘‘World Development Indicators Databank,’’ World Bank Data Catalog, The World Bank 

2010, http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators. 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. 17 Ibid. 

Note: No bandwidth information for the United States was available.14

• Global data indicate that as access to information and communications technology increases, the user base generally increases as well. Yet at this time, access to secure Internet servers and fixed broadband connections in Latin America is lacking.15 The plot below illustrates a country-by-country breakdown of Latin American secure servers.16 It is thus distinctly 

possible that even moderately improving Latin American 

connectivity infrastructure could significantly increase the regional user base. 

Note: The United States has 1,446 secure servers per 1 million people.17

6 

18 ‘‘World Development Indicators Databank,’’ World Bank Data Catalog, The World Bank 

2010, http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators. 

LATIN AMERICA MARKET OBSERVATIONS

The data presented above, which was obtained from the World 

Bank for the years 2008–2009, indicates a number of interesting 

realities and trends.18 First, note that the mobile subscription per 

100 persons metric is over 100 for a large proportion of these countries including Panama, Argentina, Honduras, and Uruguay, which 

means that there is on average more than one mobile subscription 

per person. Such data would seem to imply that mobile or SMSbased connectivity initiatives could have particularly large effects 

in the Latin American region and in these countries in particular. 

Interestingly, the broadband subscription numbers shown above 

are relatively low compared to the mobile subscription metrics, indicating that mobile initiatives may be particularly important in 

this region. The broadband data presented here would also imply 

that initiatives aimed at broadband Internet users should primarily 

be targeted at countries such as Mexico, Chile, and Argentina, 

which enjoy relatively high levels of broadband usage. 

Moreover, while it is clear that countries such as Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, and Trinidad enjoy particularly high levels of per 

capita bandwidth in contrast to Mexico and Salvador, for example, 

the most important feature of this graph is the large number of 

countries for which data was unavailable. In order to make substantial policy decisions about how to engage particular countries 

with effective connectivity-based programs, more data on bandwidth in countries such as those on this graph that lack data (Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, 

Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela) will be critically important. 

Finally, it is important to note that the absolute number of secure servers is a useful metric, but the real measurement of how 

good connectivity is on average is how many servers currently provide Internet to groups of a given size. Clearly, countries like Haiti, 

Honduras, and Nicaragua, which do not have a great deal of servers, would appear to be prime targets for infrastructure improvement and utilization initiatives. Countries like Panama, Costa 

Rica, Chile, Uruguay, and Brazil, on the other hand, appear to be 

doing significantly better than the rest of their region in this area 

and would thus be able to engage connectivity initiatives with 

higher resource requirements. 

In the end, the data shows that social media and connectivity initiatives should be catered to the particular circumstances of a particular country. Mexico, for instance, appears to have high 

broadband subscription numbers but relatively low bandwidth. In 

such a case, a package of programs that include the utilization lowrequirement online resources as well as the improvement of existing bandwidth levels would seem to be ideal. In Panama, however, 

the extraordinary number of mobile phone subscriptions would 

make connectivity initiatives based off improving mobile broadband 

infrastructure and providing SMS-based services more effective. It 

will be imperative for such data to be fully considered as the 

Department of State decides where and how to implement 

connectivity and social media programs in this region. 

7 

19 ‘‘World Development Indicators Databank,’’ World Bank Data Catalog, The World Bank 

2010, http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators. 

COUNTRY CASE STUDY OBSERVATIONS

Given the growing importance of social media with regard to 

strengthening the ability of governments to more effectively communicate with and serve their constituents as well as with respect 

to enabling citizens to express political opinions, to share information, and to mobilize demonstrations, it becomes essential that 

Latin American governments have a clear presence in these areas. 

To properly assess social media initiatives currently implemented 

in Latin American countries, staff contacted the embassies of 

Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico to gather more information about 

their initiatives. These countries were chosen due to the fact that 

they have the highest Internet connectivity, the likelihood of their 

governments to use social media to engage with citizens, and the 

defining role these countries play in influencing the political attitudes of the region. 

After analyzing data on Internet and mobile phone subscriptions 

per 100 people, total Internet and mobile phone usage data, population statistics, information and communication technology development indices, and social media proliferation metrics, staff determined that Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico represent leading technological markets in Latin America. However, with the exception of 

Colombia, attempts by their governments to expand Internet 

connectivity remain modest. 

From discussions with these embassies, staff identified two general points: 

1. The interviewed governments understand the power of the 

Internet and social media for communication and public dialogue, and they are—to varying degrees—engaging citizens 

through these media. Although these countries have announced limited initiatives to promote computer literacy, none 

has implemented specific financial commitments to educate 

citizens about services provided by the government through social media. 

2. Only one of the officials interviewed for this report, Colombia, 

mentioned state policies to expand connectivity in these specific countries. 

BRAZIL

With approximately 76 million Internet users, Brazil has one of 

the highest numbers of Internet users in the region, and approximately 40% of all Brazilians have regular Internet access.19 Given 

the large quantity of Brazilian Internet users, staff believes that 

Brazil should prioritize its social media policy. Indeed, the Brazilian President, Ministry of Foreign Relations, Defense Ministry, 

Health Ministry, and other federal institutions have Twitter accounts where information regarding services, press releases, 

speeches, and public engagements can be found. Yet, having a social media account is not the same as maximizing one’s online influence. Like the other countries in this study, Brazil needs funded 

computer literacy and social media programs, improved broadband 

8 

20 ‘‘Latin America Advisor,’’ Inter-American Dialogue, 22 September 2011. 21 Ibid. 22 Interview with Alfonso Cuellar, Senior Advisor to the Colombian Ambassador in Washington, 28 July 2011. 23 Ibid. 24David Kirkpatrick, The Facebook Effect, (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010): 1-8. 25 Ibid., 5. 

and mobile Internet access, and more forums for the public to express opinions and provide feedback on government services 

through the Internet. Brazilian officials were unable to provide social media and technology budget figures when requested by staff. 

COLOMBIA

Colombia has recently experienced rapid growth in Internet access, reaching a penetration level of 47 percent.20 Indeed, over the 

last five years, access grew 354.3% in Colombia.21 Unlike the other 

countries consulted in this study, Colombia offers digital literacy 

programs including national and regional modules that explain 

how to use social media and technology. Staff believes that these 

programs are important because they educate the public on how to 

use these platforms, which amplifies the effects of the government’s 

social media outreach. According to Alfonso Cuellar, Senior Advisor 

to the Colombian Ambassador in Washington, Colombia’s Vive Digital program, designed to promote Internet use in Colombia, has a 

2011 budget of $800 million (USD) divided between operational 

costs and investment.22 The $532 million (USD) dedicated to investment aims to bolster infrastructure and to provide information 

technology literacy programs to the public, especially low income 

citizens.23 The government of Colombia has demonstrated its dedication to providing more Internet access to its citizens and equipping them with the skills necessary to participate in online forums. 

This technology is also used by all three branches of Colombia’s 

government and civil society. The first significant example of social 

media’s growing political role in Latin America occurred in February 2008 when a Facebook group called ‘‘One Million Voices 

Against FARC’’ organized the National March against FARC. Approximately ten million people marched in protest against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in hundreds of Colombian cities.24 The Facebook group was created by a Colombian 

citizen named Oscar Morales to express his anger toward FARC’s 

tyranny. Morales described how ‘‘Facebook was our headquarters. 

It was the newspaper. It was the central command. It was the laboratory—everything. Facebook was all that, right up until the last 

day.’’ 25

MEXICO

Mexico boasts the position as the first country to have a president and full cabinet with official Twitter accounts. Mexican officials characterize interactive dialogue with politicians as limited at 

this time, but most officials, including the president, respond to 

questions and criticism from citizens on their Twitter accounts. Citing Mexico’s National Statistics Institute (INEGI), Ricardo Alday, 

Communications Director and Spokesman for the Embassy of Mexico, described how 30% of Mexicans had permanent access to the 

Internet as of December 2010, and, as a result of the rapidly exVerDate Nov 24 2008 10:02 Oct 05, 2011 Jkt 066166 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 S:\HEARING FILES\112TH CONGRESS, 1ST\STAFF TOPIC REPORTS\SOCIAL MEDIA\705
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26 Interview with Ricardo Alday, Communications Director and Spokesman for the Embassy 

of Mexico, 26 July 2011. 27Questions for the Record for Roberta Jacobson, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, submitted by Richard G. Lugar, Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign Relations for hearing entitled ‘‘The State of Democracy in the Americas’’ on June 30, 2011. 

panding Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) market, 

that the Mexican mobile industry has an annual growth rate of 

22% with approximately 43% mobile penetration.26 Mobile growth 

rates illustrate the growing number of individuals that have the 

ability to access the Internet through a mobile device. Alday agreed 

that ‘‘as the number of users of social media increase and as the 

novelty becomes the norm, the possibilities to influence political 

discourse and policy in the future are there.’’ It is therefore likely 

that social media and technology will play an increasing role in 

this country’s political conversations in the coming years. 

However, no specific, funded initiatives to educate citizens about 

the government’s services through social media currently exist, 

though the government and private sector have been discussing the 

development of future programs. Mexico recognizes the growing importance of using social media both to increase government transparency and accountability as well as to allow citizens to communicate directly with the government to share ideas or criticisms. 

THE ROLE THE U.S. PLAYS IN THE EXPANSION OF SOCIAL

MEDIA IN LATIN AMERICA

The U.S. Department of State’s core policy towards connectivity 

resources in Latin America underscores how the U.S. should work 

through a variety of channels, such as industry partnerships and 

non-governmental organization (NGO) engagement, to improve access to Internet and telecommunications infrastructure in the region. It is hoped that the advent of such increased connectivity 

would strengthen the basis of democratic institutions and civil society in Latin America by allowing individuals to more effectively engage in the formation and function of their own societies. Current 

U.S. Department of State initiatives focus mainly on explaining 

U.S. foreign policy to Latin American citizens, engaging them in 

relevant discussions, strengthening communities through improved 

communication and public dialogue, and improving existing social 

bases for democratic institutions such as freedom of the press and 

gender equity. Staff requested budget figures for social media in 

the region, but none were provided. 

Some of the challenges the U.S. Department of State’s policy 

faces in Latin American countries pertain to inadequate levels of 

infrastructure and capability such as appropriate online resources, 

lack of indigenous technical skills, and little consideration of critical risks. These crucial areas could benefit from greater emphasis 

in current U.S. Department of State policy and action planning. 

The U.S. Department of State’s official position on the use of 

connectivity resources and social media in Latin America is that its 

‘‘digital platforms [should] explain U.S. foreign policy, society, and 

values and seek to develop partnerships with citizens in achieving 

shared goals: citizen security, strong democratic institutions, inclusive economic prosperity, and clean and secure energy.’’ 27 While 

these goals are certainly wide-reaching, there are a number of speVerDate Nov 24 2008 10:02 Oct 05, 2011 Jkt 066166 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 S:\HEARING FILES\112TH CONGRESS, 1ST\STAFF TOPIC REPORTS\SOCIAL MEDIA\705
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28Questions for the Record for Roberta Jacobson, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, submitted by Richard G. Lugar, Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign Relations for hearing entitled ‘‘The State of Democracy in the Americas’’ on June 30, 2011. 29 Ibid. To visit this site, see http://www.facebook.com/iniciativa.emprende. 

cific areas that are being targeted by U.S. Department of State efforts. 

FOREIGN ENGAGEMENT OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

In line with its stated policy, the U.S. Department of State’s 

most visible activities in the realm of social media engagement explain U.S. foreign policy to citizens of foreign countries and hopefully engage these populations in dialogue about the effects and intention of these policies. According to Acting Assistant Secretary of 

State Roberta Jacobson, the resources that have been devoted to 

this cause include two full-time social media positions at the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA), in addition to some 

portion of the 72 Foreign Service officers and 114 locally employed 

staff currently engaging local populations through social media 

worldwide. To put these numbers in perspective, it is estimated 

that the time spent on global social media engagement by Foreign 

Service officers and locally employed staff is equivalent to the work 

of 33 full-time employees.28

In Latin America specifically, U.S. Department of State programs 

generally include informational and interactive communication initiatives such as alerting Latin American citizens to visits by U.S. 

officials, making online policy news available in Spanish and Portuguese, conducting web-chats to address social issues such as violence against journalists, and exposing Latin American citizens to 

democratic social ideals. One particularly successful policy program 

appears to be the Mexico City Embassy’s Mission Blog, which posts 

Spanish language U.S. policy news both from the Embassy itself 

and from other news outlets. Over 300,000 interested visitors access the page each month. 

STRENGTHENING SOCIETY BY STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES

The U.S. Department of State has focused a great deal of effort 

on utilizing existing connectivity and social media resources to 

strengthen communities and the basis of civil society in Latin 

America. These programs have for the most part attempted to foster dialogue on important issues, such as entrepreneurship, green 

energy solutions, women’s rights, and multiculturalism. 

One Facebook page targeted at entrepreneurially-minded citizens 

in Latin America, for instance, has drawn several thousand followers from among the teenage populations of Argentina, Mexico, 

and Venezuela.29 It is the U.S. Department of State’s hope that enabling conversations about Latin American entrepreneurship within this population could ultimately spark significant economic activity drawn from the creativity of young Latin Americans. 

Another community-building initiative came in the form of a program wherein a partnership with NGOs, telecommunication companies, and the Government of Mexico facilitated the development 

and installation of a system that allows any phone to be used to 

11 

30Questions for the Record for Roberta Jacobson, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, submitted by Richard G. Lugar, Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign Relations for hearing entitled ‘‘The State of Democracy in the Americas’’ on June 30, 2011. 31 Ibid. 32 Ibid. 

give anonymous tips on illicit cartel activity.30 Such capability will 

hopefully empower individuals to take responsibility for putting a 

stop to illicit activities in their home areas as well as encourage 

groups of people to collectively work towards the creation of a safe, 

secure, and productive community environment. While not a traditional form of social media, the idea of using common public communications infrastructure to facilitate communal action is certainly an innovative attempt to employ social media concepts to address a crucial issue in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. 

These specific programs are a few examples of a number of U.S. 

Department of State programs in Latin America that utilize social 

media concepts and resources to spread democratic principles and 

strengthen civil society by providing forums for public discussion of 

important issues, education about basic social problems, and avenues by which individual citizens can work to maintain the security and transparency of the society in which they live. 

COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS ENHANCEMENT

A natural complement to community-strengthening initiatives to 

which the U.S. Department of State has given much attention are 

programs that work to increase the ability of Latin American populations to use their own indigenous technical, organizational, and 

social capabilities to affect positive change in their communities. 

The U.S. Department of State has trained journalists in several 

countries to increase their ability to quickly disseminate accurate 

information about important events and issues. A great deal of effort has been expended on Cuba, the only country at present that 

actively censors U.S. policy content. In Cuba, the U.S. Interest Section has offered thousands of Internet sessions, blogging technology 

training, basic computer skills classes, weekly on-site English 

classes, and library support to the Cuban public.31 These programs 

aim to bolster citizens’ abilities to utilize existing resources, and 

also create social resources of their own that will increase government transparency and strengthen civil institutions. While Cuba is 

certainly a singular case in the great scheme of U.S. foreign policy, 

staff noticed the heightened interest by U.S. Department of State 

officials in increasing the basic computer and literacy skills of the 

Cuban public as a means of empowering Cubans to affect positive 

change in their own society. 

INFRASTRUCTURE CAPABILITY AND UTILIZATION IMPROVEMENT

Though it has been clearly stated that ‘‘at this time the U.S. Department of State does not allocate money for any infrastructure 

projects,’’ 32 another consideration of the Department’s policy towards social media use in Latin America has focused on improving 

existing infrastructure that is often inadequate for basic communication, effective online browsing, or utilization of social media resources. 

12 

33Questions for the Record for Roberta Jacobson, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, submitted by Richard G. Lugar, Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign Relations for hearing entitled ‘‘The State of Democracy in the Americas’’ on June 30, 2011. 34 Ibid. 35 ‘‘Ciberpiratas infiltran las cuentas de Twitter de los opositores a Hugo Chavez,’’ Associated 

Press, 28 September, 2011, 

http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/327022/ap-ciberpiratas-infiltran-las-cuentas-detwitter-de-los-opositores-a-hugo-chavez. 

A wide variety of U.S. government-initiated or sanctioned programs have recently been enacted to encourage change in the status quo in several Latin American countries. These include a World 

Bank initiative to improve Nicaraguan connectivity infrastructure, 

the U.S. government’s engagement in aiding telecommunications 

companies’ quest for expanded licensure to provide undersea cables 

and satellite services to Cuba, and the U.S. Interest Section’s provision of free Internet access to Cubans.33 While these programs are 

not always directly funded by the U.S. government, it is clear that 

the administration is working on the infrastructure problem in this 

region, particularly in areas where democratic institutions are not 

especially well developed. 

The U.S. Department of State’s efforts have resulted in ad hoc 

funding for bandwidth increases for simultaneous translation of 

certain online events and for isolated natural disaster mitigation. 

Some administration partnerships with NGOs working to increase 

broadband access in developing areas that are particularly difficult 

to access currently exist, such as a recent USAID effort to expand 

Haitian broadband access in rural regions, but there has been relatively little emphasis placed on improving the end user’s ability 

to connect to both online resources and to other individuals using 

the combination of infrastructure and software to which he or she 

has access.34

CRITICAL RISK MINIMIZATION

A final issue that requires more effort from the U.S. Department 

of State is minimizing critical risks of increased connectivity. As recent events in the United Kingdom, the United States, and other 

industrialized countries have shown, increased connectivity and access to social media resources has the potential to create opportunities for negative social outcomes such as flash robberies and recruitment of individuals to civically counterproductive causes. 

The U.S. Department of State has initiated programs to address 

these issues in certain contexts, such as helping to institute an 

SMS-based system to counter FARC recruitment in Colombia and 

working to implement a secure tip line system in Mexico to fight 

the widespread perception of inadequate personal security. 

While these programs represent significant progress towards 

mitigating potential negative effects of increased connectivity in 

Latin America, a great deal of work is still necessary to ameliorate 

these issues, particularly in online social media environments. For 

example, collaborators of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela recently hacked the Twitter accounts of opposition activists. Staff 

strongly believes that this example indicates how policy needs to 

take into consideration the extent repressive governments will take 

to silence democratic voices using this technology.35

13 

There are also a number of broader areas in which there is still 

a good deal of progress to be made. Specifically, improving the recipient base of basic computer skills training, deepening the technical content of skills transfer programs, increasing the number of 

critical online resources in relevant foreign languages, matching 

online resource requirements to existing infrastructure capabilities, 

and combating critical civic risks from online social media actors 

are areas that staff believes could represent productive future foci 

of U.S. Department of State policy and efforts in the region. Moreover, improving current data collection capabilities to monitor the 

present state of such initiatives and to determine the countries in 

which they would have the greatest impact will be crucial to ensuring outcomes that are both important and long-lasting. 

RECOMMENDATIONS: HOW THE U.S. CAN FURTHER EXPAND

SOCIAL MEDIA IN LATIN AMERICA

Upon analyzing information provided by the U.S. Department of 

State, governments of several Latin American countries, and industry insiders, staff strongly encourages the U.S. government to implement the following recommendations to address shortcomings in 

the technological connectivity and literacy of Latin American countries. These recommendations aim to enhance citizens’ abilities to 

connect via social media and technology and to allow democratic 

governments and other organizations interested in the proliferation 

of basic freedoms to reach larger audiences with information and 

services. 

IMPLEMENT TECHNOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAMS

Nearly every country in the world welcomes the opportunity to 

increase the legitimacy of its technology industry. In particular, 

software engineering is often a low-cost, high-return endeavor due 

to the lack of overhead costs involved and the massive potential 

market for software products. For this reason, U.S. efforts to cooperatively establish frameworks wherein U.S. entities (public or private) would contribute to training programs in advanced software 

engineering in foreign countries could be well-received. Senior government officials interviewed for this study agree that these efforts 

are going to be driven by commercial interests. 

Besides the economic benefits such programs could have, which 

would reflect favorably on the U.S., they would allow for the dissemination of software expertise into the general populace, making 

it more difficult for governments to censor online material or otherwise use connectivity resources to curtail the bases of democratic 

institutions. In the United States, for instance, it is difficult to effectively censor online content due to the existence of significant 

private software expertise, and efforts to bring such expertise into 

Latin American countries could pay similar dividends in the longrun. 

More specifically, establishing a well-trained, independent, and 

private software engineering sector effectively deprives the government of the advantage of being able to hire and control the best 

software engineers. In addition to being in alignment with existing 

foreign aid goals, then, such technology training programs could be 

14 

36 ‘‘Internet World Users by Language,’’ Internet World Stats, March 2011, 

http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htm. 

useful in ensuring the maintenance of freedom of speech in other 

segments of the world. Specific implementation avenues could include the encouragement of relevant cross-country university partnership and monetary support of formal training programs in less 

developed areas, among others. While some training programs have 

occurred, they have not had the magnitude or level of success necessary to impact openness without foreign assistance in both the 

intermediate and long term. 

ESTABLISH BASIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LITERACY OUTREACH

Adequate connectivity for significant Internet use does not guarantee that online resources will be effectively utilized by the general population. Rather, for widespread Internet use to become a 

reality in previously unconnected countries, it is imperative that 

the general populace be exposed to fundamental, consistent, and 

protracted information technology literacy tutorials. If goals such 

as real-time detection of election fraud, social media utilization as 

an avenue for political action, and online distribution of information about government services are to be accomplished, a country’s 

general population must be able to effectively leverage their existing technological resources. 

Programs aimed at bringing information technology literacy to 

underserved populations, who are often most vulnerable to the 

types of problems social media and technology use could hopefully 

resolve, would significantly promote the spread of just, transparent 

democracy in Latin America. Specific implementation strategies 

could mirror current industry best practices by leveraging recent 

advances in online computer service and live chat (both voice and 

written) methods. The United States has organized some information technology literacy programs in Cuba, but outside of its Cuba 

outreach, little has been done except blogging sessions. More programs are needed, and these information technology literacy outreach programs should be targeted at citizens, not just journalists. 

Furthermore, establishing more partnerships with nongovernmental organizations and municipal institutions and leveraging existing Fulbright Commissions and American public diplomacy 

spaces such as American Corners and American Centers would 

help expand information technology literacy outreach. With proper 

resources, linkages between the Department of Education and partner Ministries in the region could allow future generations to drive 

the educational process through direct school-to-school contact. 

PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR LOCAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPERS

TO CREATE LANGUAGE RESOURCES

A distinct disadvantage for Latin American Internet users is that 

only 12% of the world’s online resources are in Spanish or Portuguese.36 It is therefore likely that important online resources traditionally composed in English or Chinese (which together make up 

a full 50% of the world’s web sites) are not readily available to 

many Latin American Internet users. 

15 

To remedy this shortfall, the Department of State should support 

local efforts to develop translating technology resources such as information technology literacy websites, technical tutorials, and the 

like into languages such as Spanish and Portuguese so that inhabitants of Latin American countries might have fuller access to the 

critical political, technical, and social capabilities of the modern 

Internet developed in their own countries. The creation of this auxiliary online content would continuously and permanently increase 

the efficacy of any connectivity that the region currently has or will 

gain in the future. Additionally, social media could be used to disseminate translated resources. 

GENERATE LOW-REQUIREMENT INFRASTRUCTURE

The widespread increase in connectivity that Latin America has 

experienced in recent years is in some ways deceiving. While Internet coverage and penetration has certainly increased, the level of 

online services that individuals in these countries experience is not 

on par with those found in countries with more developed infrastructure. Thus, it is unlikely that these populations would be able 

to leverage Internet connectivity as effectively as possible given 

that their bandwidth levels may not be consistently sufficient to 

support some of the most useful online resources. Even on wellequipped mobile devices in the United States, certain websites will 

take extremely long periods of time to fully load and sometimes 

will not be compatible with a mobile format. 

Given that it is significantly easier to bring new connectivity to 

an area with mobile rather than hardwired connections, it is imperative that relevant online content be created that could be effectively utilized on slow connections. As opposed to creating content 

with large graphics files, for instance, sites containing information 

should be structured to minimize the information that users must 

download. In the context of social media, this would imply creating 

a social media infrastructure that emphasizes basic functionality at 

the expense of aesthetically pleasing, but ultimately superfluous, 

graphic material. 

Encouragement should be given to private sector companies as 

well as relevant public sector entities to foster the maintenance of 

low bandwidth social media resources so that less connected populations can begin to realize the advantages of modern connectivity 

and the associated potential for both social and political action that 

such connectivity brings. As a starting point, since the small-scale 

SMS programs started by the Administration have been relatively 

successful, such projects could perhaps be extended to the online 

domain. Thus, while the U.S. Department of State does not necessarily fund new infrastructure at present, the initiatives described here could certainly augment the success of its existing programs in a similar fashion. 

While low-requirement infrastructure represents a short-term solution to increasing technological connectivity, improving and providing more bandwidth should be a long-term goal in the region. 

Staff notes that traditionally, the people who have built media infrastructure for the United States government have been the engineers at International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). Staff concludes 

16 

that the IBB would be the best fit for contracting digital infrastructure projects. 

ASSESS CRITICAL RISKS

Whenever new technology is introduced into a given area, the 

positive consequences of the action must ultimately be weighed 

against the possibility of unintended negative repercussions. 

On the one hand, although increased connectivity does have a 

number of positive consequences, including spurring the utilization 

of social media for increased political transparency and improving 

the dissemination of useful information, such connectivity can also 

be misused in ways that distinctly threaten political freedoms and 

even lives. As the recent situation in Egypt has shown, well-organized (often radical) groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood tend 

to benefit most from sudden liberalization. In Egypt, the organizational disparity was so great that elections are believed to have 

been delayed partially due to fears that the well-organized Muslim 

Brotherhood would win an inordinately large number of governmental seats. 

On the other hand, staff raised the issue of privacy with industry 

insiders as a potential problem in the future. These insiders agreed 

that privacy concerns need to be addressed, but at the same time, 

they worried that too much government interference and regulation 

could limit the proliferation of information and access to it. 

Mitigating factors such as confidence in law enforcement authority, the organizational level of violent criminals, and the relative 

utilization capabilities of different political entities should therefore 

be deeply considered when deciding whether or not to implement 

the types of programs described here. Since almost no data have 

been collected on critical risks at this time, improved data collection and analysis could aid with these assessments in the future. 

CONCLUSION

Social media tools are by no means a panacea for democracy promotion. Since social media are most effective when the political environment of a country is ripe for change, limitations exist with respect to a population’s ability to use social media to effect change. 

Social media facilitate communications and the dissemination of information, but these tools cannot determine the course of events 

alone. Instead, technology accelerates underlying grassroots movements that would likely occur regardless of the influence of technology. 

Despite the palpable role that social media and technology can 

play, staff found that industry insiders are less keen to associate 

themselves with the political uses of these tools. For example: 

1. The largest social media companies still view themselves as 

startups. This viewpoint proves problematic because these social media companies do, in fact, have an international reach 

similar to that of large multinational companies. For example, 

while Facebook has expanded its global presence, many social 

media companies have yet to adopt an aggressive international 

presence. Generally speaking, while the social media industry 

has a large presence in terms of users, they do not have indiVerDate Nov 24 2008 10:02 Oct 05, 2011 Jkt 066166 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 S:\HEARING FILES\112TH CONGRESS, 1ST\STAFF TOPIC REPORTS\SOCIAL MEDIA\705
17 

viduals to manage their relationships with foreign governments and civil society. 

2. The perspective of ‘‘neutrality to politics’’ by industry insiders 

is complicated further by the nuanced relationship that exists 

between the technology industry and the U.S. government. On 

the one hand, the U.S. Department of State recognizes the potential and values the use of social media and technology because these tools can help advance U.S. foreign policy interests. On the other hand, these social media companies are 

businesses that do not want to be viewed as another arm of the 

U.S. government because they want to attract international 

business, and in some countries close relations with the United 

States is cause for distrust and suspicion. 

3. This relationship is complicated further by the dominant attitude regarding government that generally exists within the 

technology industry. One industry insider that was interviewed 

for this report stated, ‘‘We view government as a necessary 

evil, the way that people look at traffic cops. If you get stopped 

for speeding, you pay your ticket.’’ 

These observations give insight into the industry’s perspective of 

itself and also help explain their aversion to government relations. 

As interactions with governments increase, they will understand 

the need to have specialized staff to cultivate these relationships. 

With strong executive branch systems of government in Latin 

America and throughout much of the world, relationships with 

these governments cannot be avoided. In fact, good relations with 

these governments could prove useful to advance business interests. 

Just as the tension between industry and governments will probably not subside in the future, this technology is not going to go 

away. Staff strongly believes that the prospect of full access to this 

technology everywhere outweighs any disadvantages in a number 

of current foreign policy situations. Increasing popular use of technological resources presents a variety of important opportunities 

for making governments more responsive to the needs of the people 

they serve, for allowing citizens to connect and share opinions freely, and for promoting U.S. commerce. 

In order to better serve their citizens, it is crucial that Latin 

American governments promote this technological domain. Likewise, if the industry is going to reach its full potential regarding 

connecting individuals globally, it is important that industry be 

present physically with offices in the region both to make the necessary relationships and to better understand the region it serves 

and its idiosyncrasies. The industry cannot afford to exist solely online. 

The United States has consistently led the world in both technological innovation and pioneering new communications media. 

American technological entrepreneurs, moreover, have and should 

continue to exchange ideas and share expertise with interested 

Latin Americans to discuss ways to use social media to accomplish 

specific goals. Thus, in the age of digital activism, the United 

States should continue to generate and promote innovative new 

technology and ideas so that people all over the world can connect 

with information, strengthen democracy, increase commerce, deVerDate Nov 24 2008 10:02 Oct 05, 2011 Jkt 066166 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 S:\HEARING FILES\112TH CONGRESS, 1ST\STAFF TOPIC REPORTS\SOCIAL MEDIA\705
18 

mand their freedoms, and use social networking to impact their 

world in the 21st century. 

(19) 

Appendix I 

CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Foldi, Senior Professional Staff for Public Diplomacy, Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate 

Alexandra Utsey, Legislative Assistant, Committee on Foreign 

Relations, United States Senate 

Jared Dunnmon, Intern, Committee on Foreign Relations, United 

States Senate 

READERS

Garrett Johnson, Founder, InfoRate 

Kezia McKeague, Director of Government Relations, Council of 

the Americas 

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CONSULTED FOR THIS STUDY

United States 

Roberta Jacobson, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau 

of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State, answers to 

Questions for the Record submitted by Richard G. Lugar, Ranking 

Member, Committee on Foreign Relations for hearing entitled ‘‘The 

State of Democracy in the Americas’’ on June 30, 2011 

Alec Ross, Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State 

Hillary Clinton, Department of State 

Suzanne Hall, Senior Innovation Advisor in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State 

Mexico 

Ricardo Alday, Communications Director and Spokesman for the 

Embassy of Mexico 

Brazil 

Gisela Padovan, Senior Advisor to the Brazilian Ambassador in 

Washington 

Colombia 

Alfonso Cuellar, Senior Advisor to the Colombian Ambassador in 

Washington 

Chile 

Pablo Matamoros, President Pinera’s senior aide for web communications 

20 

INDUSTRY INSIDERS CONSULTED FOR THIS STUDY

Alexander Macgillivray, General Counsel, Twitter 

Debbie Frost, Director of International Communications and 

Public Policy, Facebook 

Alberto Arebalos, Director of Communications and Public Affairs 

for Google Latin America 

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