#open_empowerment @the state
The state is late in cyberspace. Latin American states are scrambling to respond to the consequences of open empowerment. Latin America represents a varied tapestry of democracy, kleptocracy and authoritarianism. The region is affected by long-standing grievances, economic inequalities and a history of elite-managed politics. State responses to cyberspace tend to align with their responses in other sectors. States with legacies of military rule tend to securitize their response, imposing more control. Others are more sporadic, giving rise to grey areas in the regulation of the cyber commons. Cyberspace will require rules. How these rules are implemented will determine whether empowerment will lead to positive democratic change or open revolt. It will also determine whether cyberspace and Latin America will remain an open commons or become a series of gated communities.