AI APPLIED TO THE ANALYSIS OF EXTORTION IN PERU How Social Pressure Shapes the Media Agenda on YouTube; [IA APLICADA À ANÁLISE DAS EXTORSÕES NO PERU Como a pressão social transforma a agenda midiática no YouTube]

Choquecahua Infante S.; Vallejo Ramírez A.M. · Prometeica (2026) · DOI: 10.34024/prometeica.2026.33.21281

Resumen

This study aims to digitally represent the extortion crisis in Peru between 2024 and 2025 by analyzing YouTube comments to identify the most relevant discursive categories. A sequential mixed-methods design was used, combining a quantitative component based on natural language processing techniques and a BERT model to classify comments, with a qualitative component that reconstructed a chronology of events and analyzed the relationship between peaks in online conversation, transportation strikes, and media coverage. The results reveal that online conversation is not triggered by isolated crimes, but rather by strikes that compel traditional media to cover the issue, generating a sharp increase in online interaction. The most frequent narratives focus on criticism of the state and demands for punitive measures, demonstrating an outraged citizenry that favors stricter security solutions. The media reaction is presented as late and reactive, which delays the incorporation of the problem into the public agenda and prolongs the feeling of vulnerability. This work provides a replicable framework for the study of criminal phenomena in digital environments and demonstrates the role of social protest as a trigger for visibility and discussion online, offering inputs to understand how citizen pressure shapes the media and political agenda.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Cristóbal de Huamanga