President López Obrador’s approval rating reached its lowest point ever in April, according to a survey by Consulta Mitofsky and commissioned by the newspaper El Economista.

Last month saw his approval rating drop 4% from March to 48.8%, with disapproval rising to 52%. 

López Obrador’s popularity according to previous Mitofsky polls peaked in February 2019 at 67.1%, three months after he took office.

The current survey showed his highest approval rating was among teachers (63.8%), the informal sector (60.1%), self-employed workers (55.2%) and public servants.

López Obrador’s highest disapproval rating came from the unemployed (65.3%), business owners (61.2%), students (58.4%), professionals (57.7%) and retirees (54.5%).

By age, 50.8% of 30 to 49-year-olds approved of the president’s performance compared to only 43.9% of those over 50.

By state, more than 64% of residents in Tabasco, Tlaxcala, Campeche and Oaxaca rated the president as “outstanding.” The lowest approval rates, below 40%, were found in Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Querétaro, Yucatán and Zacatecas.

When asked if López Obrador has managed to unite the country, 72.4% answered no, eight percentage points higher than in March.

Finally, 60.8% of those surveyed felt the president does not have a good relationship with the business community, the lowest number since April 2019.  

Factors affecting the president’s approval rating last month included complaints from state governors about the lack of quality medical supplies to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and the drastic drop in oil prices. Also mentioned were the country’s homicide rate and the president’s announcement that, despite the pandemic crisis, the Dos Bocas oil refinery, which is expected to cost upwards of US $8 billion, the US $8-billion Maya Train and the US $3.8-billion Santa Lucia airport projects would continue to go forward.  

The survey was conducted among 45,605 Mexicans over the age of 18, using smartphones with internet access.

Source: El Economista (sp)