Digital Platforms and Presidential Communication in South America: Recurring Patterns on Twitter/X

Abstract

This article analyzes recurring patterns of political communication on digital platforms based on the actions of ideologically distinct South American presidents on Twitter/X. The study examines posts published by Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil), Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela), Iván Duque (Colombia), and Alberto Fernández (Argentina) during their respective terms in office, considering the platform as a central infrastructure for contemporary political visibility. The research combines content analysis with frequency indicators and modes of use, seeking to identify functional convergences in the communication repertoires mobilized by the actors analyzed. The results indicate that, despite ideological and contextual differences, the presidents share similar ways of occupying the digital space, marked by the centrality of presidential visibility, the continuous dissemination of government actions, the personalization of communication, and the recurrent use of attacks, symbolic content, and confrontational messages. These findings suggest that the mediation exercised by digital platforms contributes to the reorganization of the digital public space in South America.