Colombian president's poll numbers sink amid strikes, other woes
Colombian president's poll numbers sink amid strikes, other woes
By Chris Kraul
September 5, 2013, 10:54 a.m.
BOGOTA, Colombia -- With areas of Colombia paralyzed by a farmers’ strike and peace negotiations with leftist guerrillas at an impasse, President Juan Manuel Santos’ approval rating has fallen to 21%, an inauspicious indicator ahead of next May’s presidential election.
The sampling of voter opinion taken from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2 by the respected Gallup Colombia poll found Santos’ favorable rating at the lowest level since he took office in August 2010. The rating, which was down from 48% in June, was also the lowest of any Colombian president in a decade.
Santos is expected to seek reelection. Although his popularity is at an ebb, political analysts still see his chances of reelection next May as good because no dominant opposition candidate has stepped forward.
Among the current woes he faces: Transportation is at a standstill in areas of seven departments, or states, including Huila and Cauca, as coffee growers and other farmers block main highways. They seek government subsidies to offset low coffee prices that they say don’t cover their expenses. The farmers began their strike Aug. 19.
More:
http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-colombia-president-poll-numbers-20130905,0,7410152.story
