Sec. 185. Countering malign information operations in the Americas
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It is the sense of Congress that— foreign influence operations pose serious threats to national sovereignty, democratic governance and human rights; foreign influence operations in Latin America and the Caribbean— have been carried out by the Maduro regime and other foreign state actors, including the PRC, the Republic of Cuba, the Russian Federation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran; and have undermined United States national interests, including by— undermining democratic electoral processes; exacerbating political polarization; and spreading false narratives contrary to the interests of the United States and its allies; and the United States Government should ensure sufficient attention and resources are allocated to efforts to protect independent media spaces, strengthen transparency of links between local media ecosystems and foreign actors, and counter Spanish-language and other non-English language foreign influence operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, including through Global Engagement Center research, grants, and programs.
The Secretary of State shall develop and implement a strategy for protecting independent media spaces and countering the creation and amplification of foreign state and nonstate influence operations in Latin America and the Caribbean and to identify initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean to counter efforts by the Governments of the PRC and the Russian Federation to undermine sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democratic processes and institutions in the region. The Secretary of State should convene summits, forums, and multi-stakeholder initiatives to address global threats to independent media ecosystems and develop solutions to the challenges posed by foreign influence operations, which could include— a Latin America and Caribbean Tech Challenge that is— sponsored by the Global Engagement Center; and aimed at advancing the development of innovative solutions to counter disinformation and propaganda across Latin America and the Caribbean; and a high-level, multi-stakeholder summit convened by the Secretary of State in Latin America and the Caribbean that seeks to— strengthen information sharing and other cooperation among regional governments, independent media, academia, tech companies, and civil society organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean for purposes of developing joint solutions to counter disinformation; counter efforts by the PRC and Russia to undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democratic processes and institutions of United States allies and partners; and promote efforts to protect the sustainability of independent media and freedom of the press.