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Woman follows Hugo Chavez on Twitter, gets home

By 배지숙

Published : June 2, 2012 - 10:44

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (AP) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (AP)




A young woman in Venezuela has been rewarded with a new home by President Hugo Chavez for becoming his 3 millionth follower on Twitter.

Natalia Valdivieso posted celebratory messages on her Twitter account as she received her home Thursday, one of them reading: ``Thank you my home is very beautiful!'' She said there were about 200 families receiving public housing in her area on Margarita Island.

Chavez congratulated Valdivieso in a message on Monday when he said she had become his 3 millionth follower. His regional campaign manager, Carlos Mata Figueroa, announced later that she would receive the home. Government officials said Valdivieso is 19 years old.

Chavez's government has been building new public housing complexes ahead of the country's Oct. 7 presidential election.

In other messages Thursday, Valdivieso called Chavez ``the best president'' and gushed: ``I woke up knowing that is the happiest day of my life!''

The giveaway also sparked criticism from some, and jokes by others.

Government critic Gustavo Coronel wrote on his blog that it was ``intolerable'' for Chavez to have rewarded someone in such a way simply for being a supporter. He noted the home was built with government money, not Chavez's money, and asked how the president dared to dole it out on the basis of political support.

``It's about shamelessly giving charity to those who follow him,'' Coronel wrote.

The satirical website El Chiguire Bipolar poked fun at the handout with a mock news article saying that Chavez's 2,999,999 other Twitters followers were disappointed.

``Millions of the president's followers complained at having received nothing,'' it said.  (AP)

 

<한글기사>

대통령을 '트친' 했더니....

베네수엘라 대통령 위고 차베스가 자신의 트위터 계정의 300만번째 펄로워에게 집을 선물했다.
나탈리아 발디비에소는 목요일, 자신의 집을 선물받고, 트위터에 감사의 메세지를 남겼다.
"정말 감사합니다. 집이 정말 아름다워요!"
차베스는 월요일에 19살의 발디비에소에게 그녀가 자신의 300만번째 펄로워임을 밝히는 축하의 메세지를 건넸다. 차베스의 지역홍보담당자는 그녀가 집을 선물받게 될 것이라고 했다.
차베스는 10월 7일 대선을 앞두고 공공주택 단지들을 건설해왔고 발디비에소는 그 중 하나를 선물 받았다.
발디비에소는 차베스는 "최고의 대통령" 이라고 칭하며 "눈을 떠보니 가장 행복한 하루였다" 고 평했다.
그러나 이러한 행위는 또한 인기영합주의라고 비판을 받고 있기도 하다.