Latin america2024 Defied Trends: Presidential approval ratings stabilized in Latin America
In recent years, the political landscape of Latin America had been marked by volatility and a sustained decline in the approval of its leaders. However, 2024 brought an unexpected shift: a notable stabilization in presidential approval ratings, particularly within the mid-to-high range.
Leaders such as Gabriel Boric (Chile) and Gustavo Petro (Colombia) maintained approval levels between 30% and 37%. Javier Milei (Argentina), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), Luis Lacalle Pou (Uruguay), Lula da Silva (Brazil), and Rodrigo Chaves (Costa Rica) reached between 40% and 55%, while López Obrador (Mexico), Claudia Sheinbaum (Mexico), Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), and Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic) surpassed 60%.
This scenario, analyzed in the latest edition of Image Of Power, suggests that public perception may be influenced by the gradual recovery following the pandemic and the emergence of leaders with strong, personalistic characteristics—factors that might have fostered greater optimism about the future.