This is the 4478th most frequent Spanish word.
afectaron
"They affected."
In this example, 'afectaron' is used to describe the absence of an impact or effect on the local industry.
Las políticas recientes no afectaron nuestra industria local.
The recent policies did not affect our local industry.
In this sentence, 'afectaron' denotes an impact or consequence caused by the changes in weather.
Los cambios en el clima afectaron la cosecha.
The changes in the weather affected the harvest.
Here, 'afectaron' indicates an emotional impact on the individual.