The Mexican president has left behind gamers and is the most popular streamer in Latin America | Abroad

López Obrador, popularly known as AMLO in Mexico, was watched in 49.08 million hours of live broadcasts this year. That's more than second place, with 23-year-old Argentinian gamer Ivan Raul Buhajeruk, known as Spreen, having 'only' 35 million hours of views.

López Obrador owes his popularity mainly to the press conferences he holds every day of the week from seven in the morning at the National Palace in Mexico City. Since his inauguration in 2018, the so-called 'Mananeras' have been broadcast live via the official YouTube channel of the Mexican federal government. Although that channel has less than 850,000 followers, Manneras also broadcasts via X, ex Twitter and other social media. The president has over 10 million followers on X.

Press conferences, sometimes lasting up to three hours, during which the president not only explains, defends or announces his own policy, but also blasts political opponents and the press. According to opinion polls, Lopez Obrador still has the support of most Mexicans after nearly six years in power.

Despite the impressive numbers from the stream charts, not everyone is convinced that all those watching AMLO's broadcasts on YouTube are real people. According to Signa_Lab, a research firm affiliated with ITESO University in Mexico's second city, Guadalajara, a significant portion of support for the president on social media consists of automated profiles known as 'bots' that can artificially inflate online popularity ratings.

Mexico will hold presidential elections next year. López Obrador was not allowed to participate; The Mexican constitution allows presidents only one six-year term.