Optimism in urban Colombia surged after elections put a coalition of liberals and progressives in power, a poll that was released on Wednesday indicated.

According to pollster Invamer, optimism about the future of the country went from 9% in May to 23% this month.

Pessimism about the future of the country dropped from 84% to 63% in the country’s four largest cities.

The approval rating of President-elect Gustavo Petro went up 22 points since February and reached 64%, the highest since Invamer began polling the popularity of the former opposition politician in 2005.

Approval of outgoing president

President Ivan Duque will leave office on August 7 with a disapproval rating of 68%.

The president took office in 2018 with an approval rating of 40%, which dropped to 27% over the past four years.

Approval rating of President Ivan Duque

 

Concerns about economy

Public confidence about potential foreign investment in Colombia soared to 66%, the highest level since 2013 when former President Juan Manuel Santos was in office.

Petro will take office amid broad concerns about unemployment and the economy in general, according to Invamer.

According to the pollster 33% of the interviewed urban dwellers said that this was their biggest concern.

Twenty-three percent of the interviewees said their main concern was corruption and 14% was mainly concerned about public security.

The Invamer poll has been polling public opinion in the capital Bogota, and in the cities of Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla and Bucaramanga since the 1990’s.