Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos received his lowest poll numbers yet just as he is about to hit the halfway mark in his presidency.
A poll done for news agency CM& indicates that 69% of Colombians approve of the head of state, while 28% are not in his favor, according to newspaper El Espectador.
Santos received the worst numbers for his security policies, with 67% of respondents saying the country is less secure than before and just 35% thinking the security situation has improved. Former President Alvaro Uribe also consistently performed poorly on security in polling despite dealing illegal armed groups like the FARC heavy blows.
With regards to Santos’ promise to focus attention on Colombia’s poor, 64% believe he is following through, compared to 33% that thinks he has overlooked the country’s marginalized population.
Santos received average marks from respondents with regards to his management of the economy, unemployment and corruption. For the economy, 67% of respondents approved of the president’s policies, while 29% disapproved. 43% were in favor of his unemployment strategy but 53% believe there is room for improvement. In Santos’ fight against corruption, just 51% approved of his tactics, while 46% disapproved.
President Santos’ poll results have wavered in 2012, with polls indicating in January that 83% of Colombians viewed the president positively, while numbers dropped to 78% in February, increased to 80% in March, plunged to 75% in April, improved to 81% in May before dropping again to 71% in June.