CARACAS (Reuters) – Faithful followers of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez commonly defend any failures of his more than a decade in power by saying he must have been unknowingly misled by ministers and sycophants.
By contrast, critics in the opposition say the former paratrooper has lost touch with reality and the problems of ordinary Venezuelans from his lofty perch as leader of South America’s biggest oil exporter.
And while Chavez may deny both theories, he does acknowledge having found an unexpected ally in Twitter — a way to hear first-hand the requests, demands, complaints and denunciations of citizens in their tens of thousands, albeit summarized in 140 characters via the micro-blogging site.
“This telephone is close to melting. Now I am aware of many things going on here,” Chavez said during a meeting with police officials, brandishing his Blackberry.
Spurred by an explosion in Twitter’s popularity in the Latin American country and annoyed by what he says was the opposition’s domination of its electronic media, the president signed up as @chavezcandanga in April.
In only about a month, his “followers” numbered more than 450,000 — making his account the most watched in Venezuela.
“Chavez turned himself into a user of the power of digital platforms, which I think is an interesting political movement,” said Andrea Hoare, digital trends professor at the Central University of Venezuela. “Rather than fight them, he joined.”
Since coming to power in 1999, Chavez has received thousands of letters appealing for help with medical expenses, finding a home or jobs for relatives. Now these requests are digital.
