From vote to virus, misinformation campaign targets US Latinos

A file photo of stickers printed in Spanish sit on the desk of an election judge to be distributed to voters after they cast their ballots in Denver. — AP

WASHINGTON: Tom Perez was a guest on a Spanish-language talk radio show in Las Vegas last year when a caller launched into baseless complaints about both parties, urging Latino listeners to not cast votes at all.

Perez, then chairman of the Democratic Party, recognised many of the claims as talking points for #WalkAway, a group promoted by a conservative activist, Brandon Straka, who was later arrested for participating in the deadly Jan 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.