Learn about the favorite clubs of the presidential contenders of Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico

Soccer and politics are two themes that move passions in Latin America. Cases like that of Mauricio Macri in Argentina show that sports leaders are so strong that they can reach the presidency.

Leer en español: ¿De cuál equipo de fútbol son hinchas los candidatos presidenciales latinoamericanos?

Brazil

It is not surprising that Brazilian politicians are fans of different soccer clubs if we take IGNORE INTO account that Brazil is the country with the most FIFA world titles and where soccer is breathed in every street. Although the final candidates for the presidential elections are not yet known, several pre-candidates already appear as serious aspirants.

Jair Bolsonario , member of the Progressive Party is one of the possible candidates to succeed Michel Temer. The politician, born in the city of Campinas in the state of Sao Paulo, is a confessed fan of Palmeiras of Sao Paulo. However, he has been criticized because he has dressed and attended matches of Fluminense and Botafogo.

Ciro Gomez, a former congressman, is a follower of the Guarani CE, a small team from the city of Juazeiro do Norte in the state of Ceará. This club plays in the D series.

Mexico

The Mexican political campaign is one of the most important and of all Latin America, as well as a soccer match.

Ricardo Anaya of PAN is a confessed follower of the Gallos Blancos de Querétaro. The politician was born in the city of Querétaro and from there his closeness to the team, which alternates between the first and second division of the Mexican League.

The ex-First Lady of Mexico and now independent candidate, Margarita Zavala, said in the past that she admired the Pachuca Football Club for her style of administration and her sports project.

Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, known as "El Bronco", is a faithful follower of the UANL Tigers of Monterrey. The ex-governor of the state of Nuevo Leon is a follower of the current Mexican soccer champion.

José Antonio Meade is a follower of the Pumas of UNAM. Former Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Peña Nieto, he studied law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and from there was born his closeness to the capital team.

The leftist candidate, Manuel López Obrador, has also expressed his admiration for the feline team. The President of the National Regeneration Movement Degree was a student in Political Science and Public Administration at the UNAM.

Colombia

Iván Duque , the Uribista candidate of the Democratic Center party, has been a loyal supporter of the América de Cali team . Even though his parents are from Medellín and he was born in Bogotá, since childhood, he has been a supporter of the Cali team.

Sergio Fajardo, former mayor of Medellín and now a candidate, has been known for his admiration for Deportivo Independiente Medellín. Despite not being the most swollen team in the city (it is below Atlético Nacional), the mathematician has shown support for the Independiente Medellín since he was young.

Gustavo Petro, former mayor of Bogotá and aspiring to be president, has not publicly expressed his closeness to any soccer team. However, trills suggest that he is a follower of Independiente Santa Fe, despite the fact that his daughter is a fan of the other team in the capital, Millonarios.

Former Vice-President Germán Vargas Lleras has also been known as a loyal supporter of Independiente Santa Fe. The red team of the Colombian capital has had other presidents as fans: Juan Manuel Santos and Ernesto Samper.

Venezuela

The current Venezuelan president and candidate for his second re-election, Nicolás Maduro, has not been known to be a fan of any team. However, you can always see his love for the Venezuelan baseball team.

Latin American Post | Santiago Gómez Hernández
Translated from “¿De cuál equipo de fútbol son hinchas los candidatos presidenciales latinoamericanos?”