Jose Manuel Albares defends Twitter's use to combat populism

Jose Manuel Albares, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Union and Cooperation, gave the final touches to the ninth edition Talking About Twitter, which was organized by the Granada newspaper Ideal'. This event, which is the largest dedicated to Twitter in the world, attracted more than 11 million users. There were also more than 10,000 interactions with tweets generated during two days of presentations.

Albares made reference to this in his speech at the Parque de las Ciencias auditorium. To "combat populism", the minister supported the use of Twitter in democratic public representatives. Since 2019, he has been using the social network. His profile shows him reporting on activities of his cabinet beyond what is public. This includes meetings with the United States Secretary, the award to staff at the embassy in Kabul, and trips to Qatar and Afghanistan to coordinate departures of collaborators and Spaniards from Afghanistan.

Minister emphasized that networks should be used to "serve society and advance". They are useful tools in Foreign Affairs for communicating with citizens, who could not learn much about institution activity until the internet. They are useful for Ministry workers, who can identify everything from electoral threats or delegitimization campaign against Spain. He noted that Twitter was the most important tool in identifying hate speech.

Vox MP Macarena Olona during her intervention at congress. Alfred Aguilar

Macarena Olona, Vox deputy for Granada was another presenter. She opened up the possibility of running for the Andalusian election as a candidate in her interview with Quico Chirino (deputy director of IDEAL). In a national key, she also stated that it was an honor to be able to lead Andalusia. She would be honored, of course. And she would go into Andalusia with clean hands, and a heart full love. Let's be clear: VOX will either be in Moncloa, San Telmo, or the government will not.

Olona criticised in his speech the country's "energy terror". "Euthanasia" is the only way to end the government's terror in the country, I said in Congress. Do you find it difficult? It's hard. It's not a lie. This is where we need to meet. They shouted to heaven for those who practice goodnessism. A patient with ALS tweeted the same thing about euthanasia. Literally, that.

Inaki Cano led the second session of Talking About Twitter. It was about freedom and how Twitter can be used to promote freedom in Latin America. Javier Larrondo (Penitentiary Defenders) debated Leopoldo Lopez Gil (Spanish-nationalized Venezuelan activist, politician, and businessman), the father of the Venezuelan leader. Larrondo described what happened in Cuba on July 11, 2012: "Some people took the streets asking for their freedom. It spread to social media, and then to Twitter. It was a simple matter of tweeting about what was going on, and 50 cities rose to the top. It was amazing how everything happened in three hours. Leopoldo Lopez clarified that Twitter is not an alternative to the printed press, but an instrument for communication.

Javier Larrondo in the Granada auditorium. / Alfredo Aguilar

Talking About Twitter also featured entrepreneurs. Juan Manuel Cendoya, Vice President of Banco Santander Spain, was also the General Director of Communications, Corporate Marketing and Studies. He discussed the importance of digital platforms for the financial sector. He stated that it was crucial for companies to be present on social networks. He believes that presence must be ordered, following a modern, segmented communication strategy that attempts to solve people's issues.

Raul Berdones (executive president of Grupo Secuoya) spoke out about the synergy between audiovisual productions and social networks. Twitter has become a hub for the content. There are now specialists who analyze the tweets and transfer their opinions to the producers.

Manu Sanchez, humorist and producer. / Alfredo Aguilar

Canal Sur, which is a contributor to Talking About Twitter showed its support for "Andalusian talent, that breaks all clichés", via social media platforms. Juanma Blanco Poloy, Canal Sur Media's director, said that while Twitter isn't the most popular network right now, it doesn't have as many users as Instagram, Tik Tok or Facebook. However, it is still the most influential, because it broadcasts the event live. Blanco Poley and Manu Sanchez, the director, producer, and comedian, broke down the success of "Land of Talent" together. Every Saturday, the program provides a source for'memes' that can be shared on Twitter and other social media platforms.

El Chiringuito de Jugones is a sports TV phenomenon that transcends the small screen. Every night, it's the same. Josep Pedrerol led the team that analysed the importance of live interaction. Jose Damian Gonzalez, Jose Canas and Alex Silvestre were all part of the team.