Brazil's 30 most influential political personalities on Instagram. Part 2 (11-20)

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 second article in a three-part series. If you haven’t read our first piece, click here. 

Here are the top 11-20.

20. Dilma Rousseff

Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has chaired the New Development Bank since March 2023.

In 2011, she became Brazil's first female president, serving until 2016, when she was removed from office after an impeachment process.

She was also chief of staff to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from 2005 to 2010.

Engaged in politics since her teenage years, Rousseff became one of the most prominent figures in the fight against Brazil's military dictatorship. She helped found the Democratic Labour Party (PDT) before joining the Workers' Party (PT).

19. Ana Caroline Campagnolo

Ana Caroline Campagnolo is one of Brazil's most popular anti-feminist and conservative figures.

She is a state deputy for Santa Catarina and a member of the Liberal Party (PL).

Campagnolo is also a historian and writer, having authored books such as 'Feminism: Perversion and Subversion.'

18. Sargento Fahur

Gilson Cardoso Fahur, better known as Sargento Fahur, is a former Brazilian military policeman and politician affiliated with the Social Democratic Party (PSD). 

He became known for his fight against drug trafficking and is a supporter of the death penalty and civilian gun ownership.

In 2018, he was elected federal deputy for the state of Paraná, becoming the most-voted candidate for the position in that state.

17. Flávio Dino

Flávio Dino, the current minister of the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil (STF), also served as minister of justice from 2023 to 2024 and has been a senator and governor of Maranhão.

He was the president of the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur) from 2011 to 2014 during Dilma Rousseff's government.

Dino is also a professor and a former federal deputy and judge.

16. Guilherme Boulos

Guilherme Boulos is currently leading in the polls for mayor of São Paulo, but only by 1%, according to Datafolha. The politician, who has the backing of President Lula da Silva, will represent the left in Brazil’s largest city. Polls suggest his main opponents will be Ricardo Nunes, the current mayor and candidate supported by Jair Bolsonaro, and Pablo Marçal.

Boulos, the son of two doctors, has been involved in politics from a young age. A member of the Homeless Workers' Movement (MTST), he is known for his fight against homelessness and advocacy for decent housing in Brazil.

In 2018, he ran in the presidential elections as the candidate for the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL). In 2020, he came close to victory in the São Paulo mayoral elections, losing in the second round. In 2022, he became the most-voted federal deputy in the city.

In 2021, Boulos was included in the Time 100 Next list of emerging global leaders.

15. Ricardo Salles

Ricardo Salles, a lawyer and federal deputy for São Paulo, also served as minister of the environment between 2019 and 2021 under former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Currently affiliated with the Liberal Party (PL), Salles was also a secretary to São Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin between 2013 and 2014. He is also the founder of the organisation 'Movimento Endireita Brasil' (MEB).

14. Pablo Marçal

Motivational speaker Pablo Marçal is a candidate for mayor of São Paulo in the 2024 municipal elections.

This is not the first time Marçal has run for high-level political office. In 2022, he was a pre-candidate in Brazil's presidential elections, but his party, the Republican Party of the Social Order (PROS), eventually decided to support Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Despite his party's position, Marçal decided to back Jair Bolsonaro.

In 2022, Marçal was also a candidate for federal deputy for São Paulo, but the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) invalidated his election on suspicion of irregularities during his campaign.

13. Bruno Lima

Bruno Lima, currently running for city councillor of São Paulo in the 2024 elections, is the city's Municipal Secretary of Innovation and Technology.

Affiliated with the Progressistas party (PP) and a police chief by profession, Lima is widely recognised as one of Brazil's leading advocates for animal protection, a cause that has also contributed to his popularity on social media. He introduced a bill aimed at incorporating animal law and animal protection into the curriculum of state public schools. Lima is also known for his efforts to combat domestic violence and his advocacy in the areas of education, sports, and public security.

In 2022, he was elected as a federal deputy for São Paulo.

12. Romeu Zema

Romeu Zema is currently the governor of Minas Gerais for the Novo Party.

He is also a businessman and administrator, having led the 'Grupo Zema' from 1990 to 2016.

Zema supported Jair Bolsonaro's candidacy in the 2018 and 2022 presidential elections. Some believe that he could be a contender in the 2026 electoral race.

11. Magno Malta

Evangelical pastor Magno Malta is a fervent supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro. He served as a senator from Espírito Santo from 2003 to 2019 and was reelected in 2022. 

Previously, he served as a city councillor in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and as both a state and federal deputy from Espírito Santo.

Magno Malta is a controversial figure, who has been involved in numerous scandals throughout his career.

Discover the first part of the list (numbers 1-10) on September 18.

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.