Colombian President Uribe has started a Twitter account under the name @ AlvaroUribeVel, allowing followers to receive such Tweets as: “Tools for human progress like the Internet cannot be put at the service of crime or the service of hate.”
A spokeswoman for the presidency said it was “strategically easier to achieve greater coverage and to spread the name of the president” using the microblogging site.
Uribe himself does not write the messages, but he is said to be aware of all the comments posted on his profile and has made suggestions regarding the content of the account.
The site allows users to write publicly accessible messages of up to 140 characters. Uribe’s latest Tweet reads: “Uribe called on the authorities to find and put in jail those responsible for threats against Antanas Mockus.”
Uribe’s account shows him looking pensive, watching the sea through a window. It has 3,800 followers. He has reportedly expressed interest in writing his own Tweets “soon.”
Most users have asked questions and comments about the president’s specific policies rather than ones about the government in general, according to the spokeswoman.
