El Cabal, Vacunas, y Donald Trump: An Analysis of Spanish-Language Disinformation Leading Up to the U.S. Capitol Insurrection

Abstract

The January 6 Capitol insurrection highlighted the central role conspiracy and disinformation play in motivating political violence among the right wing in the United States. In this article, the spread of Spanish-language disinformation by right-wing media in the United States is explored from a cultural and intersectional perspective. We analyze the mythological and dramatic narratives in content from a Spanish-language conspiracy website posted between the 2020 election and the Capitol insurrection. These narratives are explored through the lens of the deep story, which is the epistemological basis of U.S. conservatism. We argue that the deep story and right-wing conspiracy culture are highly flexible and can appeal to certain non-White audiences online. We then interrogate right-wing U.S. Latina/o/x political identity through an intersectional analysis of the conspiracy culture exemplified in the disinformation from the website.