Brazil's 30 most influential political personalities on Instagram. Part 1 (1-10)

As the date approaches, the political race on social media is accelerating.

At Global South World, we have created a list of the 30 most influential Brazilian political personalities on Instagram. Although not everyone on the list is a candidate in the municipal elections, their accounts offer a window into the country's political polarisation.

With the help of Hypeauditor, an AI-powered influencer marketing platform, we have created a ranking based on the Audience Quality Score (AQS). This score, which ranges from 1 to 100, is calculated by measuring four factors: engagement rate, audience quality, follower and following growth, and engagement authenticity. For more details about our methodology, see the end of the article.

So, who is leading the social media battle on Instagram?

This is the third article in a three-part series. Click here to read the first part, and click here to read the second one.

Here are the top 1-10.

10. Carla Zambelli

Carla Zambelli has been a far-right federal deputy for São Paulo from the Social Liberal Party (PSL) since 2018.

She is the founder of the 'Nas Ruas' movement and was one of the main advocates for the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff. A supporter of Jair Bolsonaro, she made the fight against corruption one of her main battles.

On her website, she describes herself as “liberal in economy” and “conservative in traditions.”

During her career, she has been involved in numerous scandals. In 2022, she was suspended from possessing guns after being investigated for chasing a supporter of Lula da Silva with a gun. 

In 2022, she was the third most-voted federal deputy in the country.

9. Manuela d’Ávila

Manuela d'Ávila was the vice-presidential candidate for Fernando Haddad in the 2018 general elections.

A member of the Communist Party of Brazil, she served as a federal deputy for Rio Grande do Sul, a state deputy, and a councilwoman for Porto Alegre. She was also the leader of her party in the Chamber of Deputies in 2013.

She is also a journalist and a writer. On her Instagram profile, she describes herself as a feminist, a Marxist, and an antiracist.

8. Lucas Pavanato

Lucas Pavanato is a young influencer and conservative politician. He is currently a candidate for city councillor for São Paulo with the Liberal Party (PL).

In 2022, he ran for state deputy with the Novo Party, and although he received a considerable number of votes, he didn’t win the election.

A staunch supporter of Jair Bolsonaro and a fervent opponent of Lula da Silva, Pavanato has gained prominence through his social media platforms. The Liberal Party hopes that his social media presence will help them gather votes.

7. Lamartine Posella

Lamartine Posella is a former politician, YouTuber and evangelical pastor. 

He started his political career in the 1990s. In 1994, he served as an alternate federal deputy for São Paulo and took on the role two years later. He was reelected as a federal deputy in 1998. He also ran for vice-mayor and governor of São Paulo but was not elected. 

During his time in the Chamber of Deputies, Lamartine also represented seven permanent committees, including Science and Technology and Human Rights. 

Today, he is the senior pastor of Palavra Viva Baptist Church in São Paulo and also works as a preacher, musician, composer, writer, and speaker.

6. Bia Kicis

Beatriz Kicis, better known as Bia Kicis, is one of Jair Bolsonaro's main allies. She currently serves as a federal deputy (PL-DF). Previously, she was the attorney general of Brazil's Federal District.

Kicis is also one of the signatories of the “Carta de Madrid,” a document drafted by the right wing and promoted by Spanish parties such as Vox, aimed at "combating totalitarian regimes inspired by communism."

She is also a lawyer and a YouTuber.

5. Michelle Bolsonaro

Brazil's former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro played a discreet role when former President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019, but experts say she could begin an active political career soon. Some analysts suggest she might aim for Brazil's presidency if her husband remains ineligible for the 2026 elections.

Michelle Bolsonaro, who is an evangelical Christian, currently heads PL Mulher, the women's policy arm of the Liberal Party (PL). She is also a member of Igreja Batista Atitude, where she works with hearing-impaired children.

Bolsonaro was also the general coordinator of the Alliance of Wives of Heads of State and Representatives from 2021 to 2023. Between 2004 and 2008, she served as a parliamentary secretary in the Chamber of Deputies.

4. Mario Frias

Mario Frias, who is currently a federal deputy for São Paulo, is affiliated with the Liberal Party (PL). He was a special secretary of culture between 2020 and 2022, during Jair Bolsonaro's government. He became the fifth person to hold the post since the former president dissolved the Ministry of Culture in 2019, and his appointment sparked controversy.

Frias, who is also an actor and television presenter, has starred in series such as 'Os Mutantes: Caminhos do Coração' and 'Malhação.'

3. Deltan Dallagnol

Deltan Dallagnol served as the chief federal prosecutor of Operation Car Wash, a corruption investigation that led to the imprisonment of many Brazilian politicians and businessmen, including Lula da Silva. From 2003 to 2021, he worked as a federal prosecutor, investigating crimes such as money laundering.

In 2022, he became the most-voted deputy in the state of Paraná. However, his mandate was revoked amid allegations that he had left his position as a federal prosecutor with pending administrative proceedings to avoid administrative punishment. Dallagnol claims to be a victim of revenge.

Dallagnol is currently affiliated with the right-wing Novo Party.

2. Jair Bolsonaro

During his tenure as president from 2019 to 2023, Jair Bolsonaro won the admiration of many and the contempt of others, but he left no one indifferent. He is known for his far-right and populist stance, his economically liberal approach, and the numerous controversies he has caused. His comments on women and the LGBT community, as well as his management of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been some of the reasons why the former president has generated controversy.

A retired military officer, Bolsonaro began his career in the army in 1973. During his time as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1991 to 2018, he became known for his conservative approach.

Bolsonaro sought reelection in the 2022 general elections but was defeated by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The former president is currently under investigation and faces numerous open cases, including the January 2023 coup attempt in Brasilia. Recently, he was also indicted for alleged money laundering involving undeclared diamonds he received from Saudi Arabia during his term in office.

Bolsonaro has also been barred from running for office until 2030 after the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) concluded that he abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on Brazil's electronic voting system.

1. Eduardo Bolsonaro 

Our list of Brazil's most influential political personalities on Instagram is led by Eduardo Bolsonaro, the third son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Affiliated with the Liberal Party (PL) since 2022, Eduardo Bolsonaro has been serving as a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2015. He is a federal deputy for São Paulo and holds the record for the highest number of votes received by a deputy in Brazil's history.

The far-right politician is also known for his controversial statements, political projects, and numerous controversies. He opposes same-sex marriage and quota policies.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, who is also a lawyer and a signer of “La Carta de Madrid,” has become one of the most prominent politicians in Brazil.

This list was created with the help of Hypeauditor and is based on the Audience Quality Score (AQS). In case of a tie between two or more personalities, we used the engagement rate to establish the order. Data was extracted on July 19, 2024. We focused on personalities with more than one million followers.

Global South World’s power lists aim to identify the individuals from different fields who have the most influential voices on social media platforms.

It’s not just about the number of followers – Global South World uses a combination of different signals that take into account:

• Quality audience: The percentage of real people among the account’s followers. Who is following the account – is there a large number of bots?

• Follower and following growth: How fast is the account growing – is it relevant now, or was it just popular in the past? Are there any suspicious activities related to an increase in the number of followers?

• Engagement rate: The percentage of followers who engage with the individual’s content. How much engagement do posts generate - do people react and respond or just ignore them?

• Engagement authenticity: What is the quality of the engagement? Are comments AI generated or pushed by suspicious networks?

Global South World works with a specialist firm – Hypeauditor – to pull together these signals into a single ranging score, known as the Audience Quality Score. This ranges from 1 to 100 with 100 being the most influential possible account and is the basis for our rankings.

This list neither endorses nor evaluates political messages, ideologies, parties, or opinions. Its sole purpose is to measure impact and identify who is driving attention on social media.

If you want to learn more about how the AQS is calculated, you can visit Hypeauditor’s website.