The technopolitical ecosystem of La Araucanía: actors map and social network analysis of the ‘Constituent Process’ in southern Chile
This study presents the results from an actors map visual depiction technique, followed by a social network analysis, using the visualisation and exploration software Gephi, to examine the technopolitical ecosystem in the La Araucanía region of southern Chile. Specifically, it covers the Chilean Constitutional Process, from the 18 October 2019 Social Outbreak to the constitutional plebiscite on 4 September 2022. The findings reveal the technocommunicative environment where social actors from various political and identity projects interact. Additionally, this creates a reticular morphology characterised by intense polarisation, reflecting the conflict experienced by Chilean society during that process. Through the analysis, we identified social actors from left- and right-wing parties, digital media conglomerates, university digital media, alternative digital media and Mapuche Indigenous digital media, as well as conservative groups, feminist and sexual dissidence collectives, and Mapuche Indigenous and grassroots organisations. This results in a heterogeneous mix of ideological and identity agendas, along with their relationships, within a technopolitical ecosystem. Similarly, the role of digital media in the functioning of the technopolitical ecosystem becomes crucial, with digital media conglomerates holding a strategic position regarding the flow of information and connections among actors.
Maldonado-Rivera, C. A., del Valle-Rojas, J. A., Alister-Sanhueza, C. E., del Valle-Rojas, C. F., & Carrillo-Vallejos, G. (2026). The technopolitical ecosystem of La Araucanía: actors map and social network analysis of the ‘Constituent Process’ in southern Chile. Third World Quarterly, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2026.2688894