DIÁLOGO AMERICAS ILLUSTRATION
DIÁLOGO AMERICAS
In the information age, war is waged in the mind. Cognitive warfare seeks to influence perceptions and behaviors to obtain strategic advantages without resorting to physical force. A report in the blog of peer-reviewed European Journal of International Law, EJIL:Talk!, warns that China and Russia are manipulating narratives and weakening institutions, making human cognition a new conflict front.
The report points out that this strategy goes beyond controlling information: It seeks to modify how people react to data. Unlike information warfare, which disseminates facts, cognitive warfare manipulates emotions and perceptions to influence decisions and destabilize societies and governments.
“The Soviet Union used cognitive warfare in the Cold War to influence the West, sowing doubts about its governments, even in the face of invasions such as that of Afghanistan,” Vladimir Rouvinski, director of the Laboratory of Politics and International Relations at ICESI University in Colombia, told Diálogo Americas, a publication of U.S. Southern Command. “Today, Russia and China have refined this strategy to expand their global influence.”
This plan goes beyond state media such as RT, Sputnik, CGTN and CCTV. “It’s a common mistake to focus only on media propaganda,” Rouvinski said. “In reality, this strategy includes alliances with academic and intellectual sectors. Through these connections, Russia and China influence young people, shaping their long-term vision and ensuring the dissemination of their narrative in future generations.”
China’s multifaceted strategy
Beijing, experts say, is implementing this strategy on three fronts: manipulation of public opinion through social networks and digital media; psychological intervention, exploiting cognitive biases and ideological affinities; and use of legal frameworks to restrict access to alternative information and strengthen its narrative. Through these fronts, it profiles populations, exploits biases and adjusts narratives in its favor.
An example is the so-called “intelligentized warfare” of the People’s Liberation Army against Taiwan. Through cognitive warfare tactics, China seeks to influence the future of the island without the need for direct military conflict. According to Mexican daily El Financiero, this approach is partly a response to concerns about the sustainability of Chinese economic growth.
Without regulations, cognitive warfare could redefine the nature of conflicts, opening the door to unprecedented new forms of coercion and subjugation.
Latin America is a strategic target
Latin America and Africa have been identified as key areas in this new war. According to Rouvinski, in Latin America, with the exception of Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela, democracies — however solid they may appear — are vulnerable to manipulation by external actors. China and Russia have been able to capitalize on this weakness to expand their influence in the region.
Massive urbanization has facilitated the expansion of this strategy, by connecting cities and turning them into vulnerable objects. Megacities and populations in developing countries are the new focus of state and non-state actors, shifting military interest from territorial conquest to psychological domination, a report in Colombia’s War College (ESDEG) magazine indicated.
“Another reason that explains the success of cognitive warfare in Latin America is the low level of awareness about the true intentions of Russia and China,” Rouvinski said. “This lack of understanding facilitates the manipulation and dissemination of false information, which undermines the responsiveness of society and institutions.”
By generating social chaos, desensitizing populations and eroding state sovereignty, cognitive warfare becomes a covert weapon, with effects comparable to those of a military confrontation, the EJIL:Talk! report indicates.
Cognitive warfare is divided into three phases: preparatory, active and consolidation. Russia uses information as part of its military and non-military strategy. According to its military doctrine, the use of force should be a last resort, after exhausting political, diplomatic, legal, economic and cognitive means, a report in Visión Conjunta (Joint Vision), the magazine of the Joint War College of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Argentina, indicated.
Role of technology
Cyber operations play a crucial role in this war. Specialized agents use computer viruses that spread on social networks, infiltrating contacts and spreading false information on a large scale. Bots and automated accounts mimic human behavior to maximize the impact of propaganda and reinforce manipulated narratives, the ESDEG magazine report stated.
Artificial intelligence and data intelligence in cognitive warfare favor Beijing and Moscow, which dominate these technologies. Their use, together with the low awareness of these tactics in Latin America, gives them a wide margin for maneuver, Rouvinski said. “In Europe, on the other hand, there is greater regulation and awareness of these practices, and they activate early warnings that limit their actions.”
Political and social consequences
At the social level, cognitive warfare seeks manipulation and radicalization to promote political agendas. At the state level, its objective is political and social destabilization, interference in electoral processes and the creation of international conflicts, the ESDEG magazine report said. In terms of governability, this strategy erodes confidence in democratic systems and weakens institutions.
Although it does not employ violence, its impact can be as devastating as armed conflict. One of the most important aspects of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations Organization prohibits the use of force against the sovereignty of states. But this norm has been interpreted in terms of military attacks, without considering psychological manipulation and disinformation as forms of aggression.
How can Latin America defend itself?
According to Rouvinski, although Western governments have recognized the danger of cognitive warfare, they have not treated it as a priority. In many cases, they opt for the “lesser evil,” a risky strategy in the face of a silent and long-term conflict. “The cognitive is learned and once ingrained it’s difficult to change,” he says, adding that inaction could have profound consequences in the future.
To strengthen its resilience in the face of cognitive warfare, Latin America must raise awareness among military and civilian leaders as well as citizens about the objectives of China and Russia. Critical thinking and media literacy must be fostered, Rouvinski said. “Laws against information manipulation must be established, and cooperation between governments, academia, and the private sector must be promoted to foster responsible and independent journalism.”