CERC: Presidential approval rating reaches 60% after registering 11-point increase

SANTIAGO.- According to the most recent CERC poll, Chilean citizens' approval rating of the administration of President Michelle Bachelet has soared 11 percentage points to 60%.

The director of the organization, Carlos Huneeus, has said that this represents an unprecedented spike in approval ratings since the return of democracy and can be attributed to several factors. First, Huneeus mentioned the successful economic management of the Executive Branch in the face of the international financial crisis, which has included an aggressive, 4-million dollar fiscal plan.

The director also stressed the issuance of the 40 thousand peso bonus that has benefited a considerable part of the population and cost 240 million dollars. According to Huneeus, such measures have generated a change in the subjective perceptions of the Chilean people, improving the level of optimism with regards to the future of the economy.

The other factor that has contributed to the improvement in the approval rating of the presidential administration is the positive assessment garnered amidst the maritime lawsuit presented by Peru at The Hague Court, since both supporters and opponents of Bachelet indicated that the Executive Branch has done an efficient job of defending national interests.

Meanwhile, disapproval of the presidential administration registered a significant drop (14 percentage points), plunging from 42% to 28%.