“The Chaos Engineers” are a group of highly knowledgeable individuals in the digital domain and political marketing dynamics who have formed strong relationships with populist leaders, remarks international affairs analyst Andrea Rizzi. He explains that the current world faces a severe deterioration of its socio-political fabric, driven by a false, nationalistic, populist narrative and the imposition of force.
In a recent interview (El Tiempo, August 17, 2025), Rizzi notes these experts exploit technology, failures in democracy—especially in managing social issues, globalization dilemmas, and capitalist excesses—to craft a “national populist” discourse. In this narrative, truth is the primary victim, and they leverage “resentment” to achieve their goals.
While the depths of the democratic crisis are alarming, there are pathways to break this cycle. This requires exploring solutions that genuinely understand the roots of social discontent, linked to rising inequality and factors undermining social cohesion—the very bridges that connect society’s diverse parts. Such a task demands the design and implementation of models that move beyond outdated frameworks, like the oil-dependent model enduring in Venezuela for nearly a century.
To surpass these outdated models, it’s essential to understand why the elite have capitalized on globalization opportunities to amass wealth, power, and technological control, leaving the underprivileged at a disadvantage. This has fueled a “revenge atmosphere steeped in hate and resentment,” reflected in leftist opportunists who, taking advantage of democratic principles, seize power to exploit these sentiments. This trend has played out over the last two decades in countries like Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia, resulting in decidedly unproductive governance experiences.
This class of rulers has infiltrated institutional systems, acting without consequence, as seen with figures like Ignacio Lula da Silva in Brazil, the Kirchners in Argentina, chavismo in Venezuela, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, the Castro brothers in Cuba, López Obrador in Mexico, and the Ortega couple in Nicaragua.
The degradation of democracy is serious; Rizzi warns that international norms are being increasingly disregarded, with brute force gaining ground. A stark example of this troubling trend is the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his two-decade tenure. Alarmingly, local and global justice systems are largely ineffective against human rights violations and rampant corruption, allowing impunity for crimes to negatively impact societies.
The strategic application of brute force is now bolstered by the economic resources that fund technology, widening the gap between powerful nations with imperialistic intentions—like the United States, China, and Russia—and weaker ones. For the former, leveraging social media has enabled the spread of lies, distorting truth and selling a deceptive narrative filled with false values and facts, interwoven with nationalism marked by xenophobia, hatred, resentment, and self-serving economic interests masquerading as national concerns.
Confronting such a daunting threat, which is advancing at an alarming rate—even at the risk of humanity’s extermination, as evidenced by nuclear threats, environmental degradation, and the emerging myth of Artificial Intelligence—remains a challenge. As a tool designed by humans, AI has the potential to become a dangerously controlling force if not harnessed for good.
The reckless use of AI and social media is creating a perilous world of control. Regarding this issue, Rizzi states: “Today we witness a global cognitive battle. There is a struggle for the minds of people.” Now, individual data has become a target for major tech controllers, reducing humans to mere data points for security, economic, and social purposes.
To navigate and build in this complex world, Rizzi emphasizes the importance of the educational system, which is vital for fostering critical thinking. It enables individuals to discern and understand social phenomena, distinguishing lies from truth. In this way, citizens can initiate a civil rebellion, challenging the polarized, emotional, and irrational state of affairs. Practicing rationalism becomes essential for generating constructive policies.
The current educational framework, undermined by false principles and manipulated progressivism (dominated by the left), hampers rational analysis of social issues. Overcoming this polarized tendency means establishing civic responsibility that allows for a fair and constructive engagement with AI and social media, which currently propagate false narratives unchecked, aiming only to mesmerize large majorities.
Regulations must be established; otherwise, the harm to humanity will be immeasurable. It’s crucial for nations and their citizens to strengthen civic responsibility to counteract the “Chaos Engineers.” This approach is vital to construct a narrative grounded in rationalism that aligns more closely with the truth, combating the immense wave of challenges facing democracies. Otherwise, the disintegration predicted by Plato in his work, The Republic, will become a reality.
@hdelgado10