Controversial Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Takes to Twitter to Counter Critics
I’ve already mentioned that blogs can be used as powerful tools to decry a social issue or start a Bolivarian revolution. This week Hugo Chavez, controversial socialist president of Venezuela, took to the blogosphere with a Twitter account called chavezcandanga. “Candanga” roughly translates to “devil.”
With only two tweets so far, he doesn’t have as many followers as Ashton Kutcher but he’s off to a good start. According to the AP, Chavez plans to use the Twitter to counter his online critics.
This from the AP:
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez has joined the ranks of those who say, “If you can’t beat ‘em, tweet ‘em.”
Facing a flurry of cyberspace critics, the loquacious leader known for hours-long speeches made a revolutionary move Wednesday, sending his first message from a Twitter account where his missives are limited to 140 characters.
“Hey how’s it going? I appeared like I said I would: at midnight. I’m off to Brazil. And very happy to work for Venezuela. We will be victorious!!” it read.
Just as Chavez has been cracking down on traditional media, he finds himself on the defensive against an Internet-based opposition doing battle with computers and handhelds. [...]
Good luck with your blogging endeavor Hugo Chavez. You should know however: on the Internet, you can’t stifle your critics. The truth always has a chance on the Internet.
Tags: micro-blogging, political blogging, twitter
Good to see Hugo Chavez on twitter !