This dead president rules Twitter in Latin America
Latin American heads of state definitely amass great Twitter followings that try to rival President Obama’s following right here in the United States, but none…
Latin American heads of state definitely amass great Twitter followings that try to rival President Obama’s following right here in the United States, but none has a greater following on the social media platform than a dead president. Can you guess which one?
Twitter is no longer just a place for celebrities and teenagers to share their latest thoughts. The networking service has also become an essential platform for world leaders, with over 80 percent of the 193 United Nations member countries actively using Twitter, according to Burson-Marstellers annual study of Twiplomacy.
Here is a look at the Latin American leaders with the most followers on this popular social media service:
6) Venezuela Nicolas Maduro
2.04 million followers
Nicolas Maduro amasses a large amount of Twitter followers, and in a country as polarized as Venezuela it might come as no surprise that both supporters and detractors have used Twitter as a mouthpiece for their political causes. Much of the political rallying in Venezuela takes place on the social networking site. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
The successor of President Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro has a respectable Twitter following at 2.04 million. Maduros most popular tweet occurred just after he took office in April 2013, and it was retweeted almost 13,000 times. It read, #TROOP #DefeatingFascism This is going to defend the peace and life of the people Continue Conquering
Maduro only follows two other Latin American leaders on Twitter: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina and Dilma Rousseff of Brazil.
SEE ALSO: ‘Mi abuela sabia’ Twitter account outranks Ecuadorian president
5) Brazil Dilma Rousseff
2.46 million followers
Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff is the Latin American head of state with the fifth largest amount of followers on Twitter. (AP Photo)
Brazils President Dilma Rousseff has amassed 2.46 million followers since creating her Twitter account in 2010. Rousseff has an extremely loyal Twitter following, as about 91 percent of her tweets are retweeted, and she averages slightly over one tweet per day. Dilmas most popular tweet was retweeted over 7,500 times, where she expresses to her supporters she hopes to have more time to be here [on Twitter] with you….Let’s talk more in 2011.
4) Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto
2.73 million followers
FILE-Mexico’s President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto attends a press conference after meeting businessmen at the Sao Paulo’s Industries Federation in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012. Peña Nieto has an impressive Twitter following, immortalizing one particular hashtag. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Not only does Enrique Peña Nieto have an impressive following of his own, but he has also been the subject of several popular Twitter hashtags over the years, many of them mocking the Mexican president for his interview gaffes. In a 2011 interview, Pena Nieto was asked how much tortillas cost in his country, to which he replied, I am not the housewife. The twitterverse immediately latched onto this phrase, and the tag #NoSoyLaSenoraDeLaCasa (#IAmNotTheHousewife) went viral.
3) Colombia Juan Manuel Santos
2.88 million followers
Juan Manuel Santos was reelected Colombia’s president in 2014, and social media definitely played a role in getting his campaign platform across. (AP Photo/Santiago Cortez)
Colombias Juan Manuel Santos averages an impressive five tweets per day, most of which are used for soft diplomacy. He often tweeted Hugo Chavez during Chavezs presidency. His most used hashtag still remains #SantosPresidente (Santos for president).
2) Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner
2.89 million followers
Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has the second highest Twitter following in Latin America. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File)
The most followed living Latin American leader is the Argentinean president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, with 2.89 million followers. Kirchner posts about seven tweets per day, although many of these are long chunks of text broken up into several different tweets. Kirchner not only has embraced Twitter, but she has also embraced the selfie trend, which she revealed by tweeting a selfie of her at the opening of the Facebook offices in Buenos Aires.
SEE ALSO: Cuban-American leaders lend a hand to ‘Cuban Twitter’
1) Venezuela Hugo Chavez
4.13 million followers
If you’re wondering why Hugo Chavez still has the largest Twitter following even after his death, look no further than Nicolas Maduro’s allegations that the revolutionary leader appeared to him in the form of a chirping bird. Coincidence? We think not. (Globalpost/Screengrab)
Latin Americas most popular leader on Twitter may have died more than a year ago, but his Twitter account has retained most of its followers. Venezuelas Hugo Chavez, who died on March 5, 2013, had become famous for his frequent use of Twitter.
His very last tweet read, I still cling to Christ and I am confident in my doctors and nurses. Always toward victory! We shall live and we shall conquer. This post was retweeted over 48,000 times.
But something super-natural might be at play here if you ask current President Nicolas Maduro: He alleges Chavez appeared to him last year in the form of a chirping bird. Coincidence? We tweet not.
It’s worth mentioning that while several million followers may seem like a hefty amount, it pales in comparison to President Barack Obamas 43.8 million followers on his Twitter account. Obama is currently the worlds most followed leader, far ahead of the runner-up Pope Francis, who has 14 million followers.
