Latin americaA new and refresh edition of Image of Power in Latin America
With a refresh and interactive design, we present the data from the March-April 2023 edition of Imagen del Poder.
Presidential approval levels have remained relatively stable since the beginning of the year. However, their pattern of change over the last 12 months confirms a worrying trend: the number of governments with approval ratings of below 25% is increasing: from 2 (between January and February 2022) to 5 at present. Alberto Fernández of Argentina and Guillermo Lasso (Ecuador) are emblematic of this—and indeed have seen their support shrink to below 20%.
Guillermo Lasso, topping the disapproval ranking with 83% of the public now opposed to his presidency, has had several close brushes with impeachment. Heading a minority government, his relationship with the Legislative branch was fraught from the outset, promoting veiled threats he might seek to dissolve it. He finally did so on May 17, while a process of impeachment against him was ongoing and likely to be successful. A general election is now planned for August, with Lasso, in the meantime, able to govern by emergency decree and holding control of the Constitutional Court and of the Assembly itself.
Andrés López Obrador (Mexico) leads the presidential ranking with 60% approval; while Lula Da Silva (Brazil), Gustavo Petro (Colmbia) and Luis Arce (Bolivia) remain for now in the mid-range with popularity levels ranging from 50% to 40%.
Image of Power provides a bimonthly overview of presidential approval ratings across Latin America and the Caribbean. Produced by Fundación Directorio Legislativo, it draws on public opinion polls from 18 countries of the region. This issue, in particular, has made use of 59 such separate surveys, all undertaken between March and April 2023. The data presented in this report do not necessarily reflect the view of Directorio Legislativo as an organization.