▁" Sil icon ▁Al ley " ▁and ▁a ▁recognized ▁hero ▁throughout ▁Latin ▁America . ▁A ▁picture ▁of ▁him ▁on ▁the ▁cover ▁of ▁Internet ▁World ▁magazine -- ri pping ▁his ▁sh irt ▁open ▁to ▁show ▁the ▁St arm edia ▁logo , ▁like ▁Super man , ▁sum med ▁up ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁the ▁company ." ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁St arm edia ▁was ▁the ▁world ' s ▁leading ▁Latin ▁portal , ▁ ▁serving ▁over ▁ 2 5 ▁million ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Portuguese ▁speak ers ▁every ▁month ▁across ▁Latin ▁mark ets ▁in ▁America ▁and ▁Europe , ▁making ▁it ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁sites ▁by ▁audience ▁size ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁Esp uel as ▁is ▁a ▁Henry ▁Crown ▁Fellow ▁at ▁the ▁Asp en ▁Institute . ▁ ▁Many ▁years ▁before ▁social ▁media ▁would ▁play ▁a ▁leading ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁Arab ▁Spring , ▁Esp uel as ▁pres aged ▁that ▁the ▁Internet ▁would ▁prov oke ▁an ▁" un cont roll able ▁wave ▁of ▁dem ocracy " ▁and ▁give ▁" the ▁power ▁of ▁information ▁and ▁communication ▁to ▁the ▁individual , ▁not ▁to ▁institutions ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Esp uel as ▁was ▁named ▁one ▁of ▁" The ▁Nation ' s ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Most ▁In flu ential ▁His pan ics " ▁by ▁P oder ▁Magazine . ▁ ▁Time ▁included ▁Esp uel as ▁on ▁their ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁" L ead ers ▁of ▁the ▁Mill en ni um ", ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁" 2 0 0 0 ▁All