A new poll has suggested Colombians are increasingly dissatisfied with the Santos administration on major issues.
Santos’ personal approval rating is now 55%, a ten-point decline since April.
A slight majority of those surveyed said Santos would not win the presidency if an election were held today.
62% of respondents disapproved of the government’s management of the overall security situation, with two-thirds specifically unhappy with the president’s approach towards the guerrillas.
Despite Santos’ falling poll numbers, the survey did not indicate that there was a credible alternative in a position to take advantage of the government’s vulnerability.
The decline in popularity for Santos coincides with growing discontent over recent attempts at judicial reform. Three-quarters of Colombians disapprove of the justice reform bill, which was initially supported by the Santos administration but has since been opposed. Almost as many declared they would be willing to vote affirmatively in a referendum to overturn the bill.
The justice reform bill is a controversial attempt to overhaul the judicial branch, but there are fears that it will provide immunity for elected officials.
Other branches of the government also received negative feedback. A majority of Colombians believe the work of their elected representatives is either “poor” or “very poor,” while more than three quarters have an unfavorable image of Congress.
About half of respondents hold a negative opinion of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and the State Council.
The National Police and the Army were the only institutions to garner public support, achieving favourable image ratings of 61% and 72% respectively.
Datexco conducted the survey on behalf of W Radio and El Tiempo. Datexco ran the poll from 25 – 27 June, using a sample of 1200 people. The study’s respondents came from 13 of Colombia’s major cities: Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Pasto, Pereira, Cucuta, Manizales, Neiva, Monteria, Villavicencio.