Polarization in a country with low polarization. Social media and political elites in Uruguay

Abstract

Uruguay has historically been characterized as a country of political consensus, making it a key case for examining the relationship between the widespread use of social media and rising political polarization. This article explores how Uruguay’s political-institutional elites interact on Twitter/X. The findings reveal strong partisan homophily and a clear division between the ruling Republican Coalition and the opposition Frente Amplio, although there are communicating vessels between the two communities. Using a positional methodology, the study shows that institutional hierarchies are replicated and maintained on social media, though accompanied by segmentation dynamics that contrast with the country’s tradition of political dialogue. Even within this “buffer society,” digital communication fosters more polarized relationships, raising important challenges for rethinking the relationship between politics and communication in contemporary democracies.