Meet The Influencer Giving Young Mexicans Their Election News

Mexico City, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Feb, 2024) Smartphone in hand, Mexican law student Gerardo Vera records a short political news video for TikTok aimed at younger voters who will be a major force in this year's presidential elections.

While politicians are increasingly using social media to reach young voters, Mexicans preparing to vote for the first time are themselves turning to such platforms to understand politics.

"Let's talk about President (Andres Manuel) Lopez Obrador's mega-package of reforms," said Vera, 19, addressing his two million followers on TikTok, the popular app owned by Chinese technology firm ByteDance.

His daily videos reach a crucial audience ahead of the June 2 election, which is expected to produce Mexico's first woman president.

According to the national statistics agency INEGI, more than a quarter of the almost 99 million Mexicans eligible to vote are aged 18-29.

And 4.1 million of them -- including Vera -- will cast their ballots for the first time in the elections, campaigning for which officially starts on Friday.

Younger Mexicans "will define the vote," Vera said.