The transformation of the escrache: from a struggle for justice to digital entertainment.

Digital aggression has become a phenomenon that transcends borders and, in many ways, reflects a deeper social pathology. At its core, this anonymous and mass aggression adheres to a psychological principle described by Freud, which posits that individuals feel supported by the group, allowing them to commit acts they would never carry out alone. This dynamic has been exacerbated by the rise of social media, where anonymity and virality have combined to create a culture of digital lynching. Violence that was once physical has transformed into insults and virtual attacks, stripping victims of their dignity and humanity. In Argentina, the history of "escrache"—a form of social denunciation and public punishment—has been distorted over time and through the evolution of media. This term, derived from the Italian "schiacciare," symbolizes the act of crushing those who have committed dishonorable acts. However, what was once a tool for community justice against the repressors of the dictatorship has turned into a game of insults and humiliations in the digital space, where civic reflection has been replaced by the urgency of scandal. The essence of the Argentine escrache, which was born as a response to the atrocities committed by a bloodthirsty regime, has lost its background of struggle for justice. The contemporary use of this term has been distorted, and what should be a call to action and awareness has transformed into an expression of vulgarity, where insults are hurled as if they were glasses at a popular party. This dramatic change highlights the disconnection between the country’s political history and the current situation, where indignation seems more related to triviality than to the pursuit of justice. What began as a strategy for resistance and visibility of crimes against humanity has morphed into mass entertainment. Social media has facilitated public scorn, where digital lynchings are celebrated as spectacles. This phenomenon raises a troubling question: have we lost our way in the pursuit of justice and truth? The answer appears to be yes, as the emotional connection that once united us in the fight for justice has evaporated, leaving behind a void filled by fun and spectacle. The impact of this transformation can be observed in Peru, where the legacy of the Argentine escrache resonated following the amnesty for human rights violators during the Fujimori regime. Citizens' indignation manifested through symbolic acts, although they lacked the same depth and urgency as those that gave life to the movement in Argentina. As social media became entrenched in daily life, escrache diluted into a sea of memes and fleeting viral moments, where the true fight for justice has been reduced to a click. The revelation of the "vladivideos" marked a milestone in Peru's political history, leading to a mobilization that promised to reclaim lost dignity. However, even that moment has been overshadowed by the specter of digital scorn, where anger and frustration are unleashed on public figures, forgetting that behind each attack is a person with their own story and suffering. This lack of empathy reflects a society that prefers spectacle over reflection. The violence of social media has not only trivialized the fight for justice but has also created an endless cycle of retaliation. Instead of fostering constructive debate on the urgent issues that affect us, the culture of grievance has been prioritized, where insults and humiliations replace dialogue. This toxic environment perpetuates polarization and hatred, leaving little room for understanding and reconciliation. Civic education, both in the digital realm and the physical world, has been relegated to the background. We find ourselves in a society that prioritizes learning how to generate trends and go viral, while the development of empathy and civic understanding has been completely ignored. This translates into a lack of collective responsibility, where acts of digital violence go unpunished and are celebrated as heroic feats. The irony is that, amid so much indignation and attack, the true culprits of our recent history continue to roam free. Figures like Alberto Fujimori, Antauro Humala, and Martín Vizcarra have become cult personalities, celebrated in spaces where criticism should be the order of the day. The disconnection between history and the present becomes palpable when, instead of being repudiated, these figures are objects of admiration, while the pain they have caused is overlooked. In the end, the cycle of digital violence, fueled by impunity and a lack of civic education, leaves us facing a bleak reality. What once united society in a cry for justice and dignity has been transformed into a banal spectacle, where the fight for truth and justice has been replaced by a culture of lynching. In this context, reflection becomes urgent and necessary, as it is only through it that we can recover the sense of community and dignity that has been lost along the way.