Conservative attacks portraying Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico as a supporter of gender-transition procedures and “chemical castration” (puberty blockers and hormone therapies) for minors spread into Spanish-language social media. DDIA researchers explain the strategic silence theory and how the Democrat used it to battle misleading content.

A campaign stop by Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Eliott Rodriguez at a Cuban bakery in Miami sparked #PastelitoGate, fueling boycott calls, accusations of socialism, and fierce political clashes among Latino voters in Florida’s 27th Congressional District. The controversy, amplified by Republican María Elvira Salazar, exposed deep ideological divisions within Miami’s Cuban-American community.

A one-stop resource hub for the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, bringing together trusted English- and Spanish-language tools for Latino voters, journalists, creators, and community leaders.

In an effort to understand how U.S. Latino voters perceive AI and data centers, the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA) partnered with YouGov to explore how U.S. Latino registered voters use and trust AI, weigh the local benefits and costs of data centers, and think about AI and data centers’ broader impact on society and the 2026 elections, among other topics.

With just over two weeks until the November 3 midterms, a new wave of false and misleading claims is targeting election procedures, political figures and the integrity of the vote: fabricated statements attributed to Elon Musk and Pope Leo XIV, a satirical story presented as a Trump accusation against Ukraine, misleading warnings about mail-in ballots and fake news reports about musicians. DDIA reviews six cases debunked by Snopes, AFP Fact Check and Lead Stories and the familiar pattern they follow.

Spanish-language social media conversations show Latino audiences closely tracking the money behind the U.S. midterms, from Elon Musk's $276 million for Republicans to Barack Obama's and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's fundraising for Democrats and questionable donations in Texas and Michigan. DDIA's analysis found skepticism toward billionaire donors, enthusiasm for grassroots fundraising and outrage over unethical practices, with partisan lenses deciding whether the same financial activity is celebrated or condemned.

After criticizing President Donald Trump's immigration policies in a video, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who is seeking reelection, captured the attention of Spanish-speaking social media users with a striking claim: Trump would support her Dignity Act, legislation offering legal protections to certain undocumented immigrants. Salazar, however, provided no evidence of the president's backing.