The Hall of Mirrors: The Internet in Latin America

This article discusses the degree to which the Internet, together with the information and communication technologies that support it, has impacted Latin America. Its primary focus is: "What are the social implications of the Internet's explosive growth in Latin America?"

The piece begins with an introductory section that provides several statistics. For instance, use of the Internet in this region grew by over 100% between 1997 and 1999. As is true of almost every other nation worldwide, the internet was almost unheard of in Latin America only a decade ago (by the end of 1999, approximately 5.3 million Latin Americans used it). These numbers, however, represent about only 1.5% of Latin America's population (in the United States, an estimated 37% of the population uses the Internet). Viewed in global terms, Latin Americans comprised only 3.2% of the 165 million worldwide users of the Internet in 1999.

Gómez claims that such uses of the internet "reflect the inequalities and injustices of the societies into which it is asserted. Thus, information technologies are not positive or negative in themselves; but neither are they neutral. They take the form and direction of the societies in which they are introduced, and at the same time they help further shape the relations and modes of interaction in these societies...." He points out that Latin America is made up of a rich mix of cultures and identities that are cultivated within societies where access to resources, knowledge, and opportunities is inequitably distributed. After a few introductory sections, the author proceeds to examine what it means to use the internet in the "Latin American way". He notes that, "Aside from geographic location and language, the most salient difference between the Internet in Latin America and North America or Europe is the cost of the equipment and Internet connections. These costs tend to be significantly higher in Latin America (and in Asia and Africa) than in the more developed regions of the world."

The next section presents the thesis that it is easier to use the internet to conduct business with large corporations than smaller ones; thus, Latin American enterprises of smaller size have not had as much luck in drawing on electronic resources for their business pursuits.

In a discussion of cybereducation, Gómez notes that most universities in poorer countries "will probably be forced, like small enterprises, to buy (and at best adapt) ready-made solutions from the warehouse giants". In other words, cybereducation may be construed as a market opportunity.

E-mail marketing strategies used to garner support for Latin America's armed conflicts are also discussed.

In the final few sections of the piece, the point is made that "the Internet would become an even more valuable tool for social development if legislation were passed that supported the right to communication, and that promoted telecommunications as a public service." In addition, the author points out that "existing gaps between rich and poor are only increasing" - opportunities for social development in Latin America using the internet may arise if users take advantage of the opportunity for information exchange, networking, and collective action provided online.