The Criminalization of Protest In Venezuela and Nicaragua the protesters are called "coup plotters" and "agents of imperialism", in Chile they are termed "Castro-Chavez supporters" 15 mayo, 2021 Cuban sociologist Haroldo Dilla is a professor at the International Studies Institute of the Arturo Prat University in Chile. He has focused attention on the rhetorical strategies being used by Latin American governments to justify repression and criminalize protests. While countries such as Venezuela and Nicaragua call the demonstrators “coup plotters” and “imperialist agents”, in Chile or Colombia, they’re termed “Castro-Chavez supporters”, or “narcoterrorists”. The language of the Latin American left and right articulates a transverse discourse that responds to the same logic of disparagement, while using different glossaries. The objective of both is to establish the demonstrators as dangerous elements. They’re spoken of as violators of the law (delinquents, vandals, rabble), and also objectified using racial, sexual or generational stereotypes (indigenous people, Afro-descendants, feminists, youth). Finally, the language identifies them as political enemies (populists, neo-liberals, socialists, or conservatives).