Latinobarómetro poll: Latin Americans disapprove Chávez

Most Latin Americans who participated in the latest Latinobarómetro poll took a dim view of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's radical leftist president, as reported by The Economist.

Despite the recession that hit the region over the past year, Latin Americans are more supportive of —and satisfied with— their democracies and their governments. "More of them favor the market economy," according to the latest Latinobarómetro poll taken in 18 countries across the region and published exclusively by The Economist.

The survey, which has been conducted regularly since 1995, tracks changes in attitudes across the region.

According to The Economist, "the poll offers a warning to Chávez." Although "45 percent of Venezuelan respondents still support the government of Chávez, the result shows a 20 percentage points decrease from the 65 percent support in 2006." Further, while the Venezuelan ruler has nationalized many businesses, "81 percent of respondents claim that private enterprise is indispensable for economic development, a big increase on previous years." According to Latinobarómetro, support for the market economy among Venezuelan respondents has also climbed.

The poll also suggests that "Chávez's image in the region is much less favorable than that of many other leaders, and especially than that of (US President) Barack Obama." As reported by The Economist, "the advent of Obama has boosted his country's standing in the region: 74 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of the United States, up from 58 percent last year and the highest figure since the Latinobarómetro poll began."

Nevertheless, more respondents now see Brazil as the most influential country in the region, ahead of the United States and Venezuela.

This year's poll was taken in late September and October, when many countries in the region were starting to bounce back from the downturn.

Support for democracy is at its highest level since the late 1990s, up 11 points from its trough in 2001.

"Even more strikingly, satisfaction with the working of democracy has increased sharply, to its highest level since the polls began," the survey found. Trust in democracy's basic institutions is also growing steadily. The respondents saying that democracy cannot exist without political parties have increased steadily, to 60 percent from 49 percent in 2001.

Link
http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/12/11/en_pol_esp_latinobarometro-poll_11A3179971.shtml

http://www.latinobarometro.org/

poll on leadership approval on page 60. Chavez 45%

I didn't notice that on Bovrev's "summary"

and 27% favorable rating regionwide. didn't see that on Borev either. page 102

17% favorable rating in Brazil, 13 in Mexico, and 12 in Colombia 25% in Ecuador page 104

Bo(livarian)Rev(olution).net doesn't say much... strange.

but according to Borev since only 39% have been crime victims they don't know what they are talking about.

If your neighbors have been attached, sequestrated and robbed, you shouldn't feel worried, of course... it didn't happened to YOU!

Lula is the highest ranked leader
http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/12/11/en_pol_esp_lula-is-the-highest_11A3180691.shtml

The guy's a genius. The best part is he's getting a ton of contracts for Brazilian companies in Venezuela.