A new poll finds that Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is enjoying a his strongest approval ratings since taking office Dec. 1.
Boosted by support for his battle against fuel theft, the poll found that 86 percent of the population was behind AMLO as he began his third month in office.
The fuel crisis continues in Mexico as gas thieves find new targets.
In Puebla, gangs have not only continued drilling holes in gas pipelines to steal the fuel but are also resorting to other criminal activities. Astronomers have been forced to leave a remote observatory because the highway leading up its mountain has become a target for carjackings and robberies.
The El Financiero poll found that, out of six areas on which respondents had to judge the new president, Lopez Obrador’s posture on Venezuela has the lowest level of support. But even that has the backing of more than half of Mexicans.
Thirteen percent of respondents disapprove of Lopez Obrador’s performance in office. That is down from 17 percent when the chief executive began his term.
The telephone poll of 410 people was conducted between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4.8 percent.
The president continues to enact measures that support everyday people over institutions.
In January, AMLO held a rally at the Francisco Carranza Limón stadium in Guasave, Sinaloa, to promote a baseball program for young people.
“We will have schools throughout the country to train and become professional players or physical education teachers. All scholarships,” Lopez Obrador said on Facebook. “By 2024 at least 80 Mexicans will be in the big leagues.”
On Thursday, Lopez Obrador diverted funds that would have been sent to child-care agencies and will send them to individual households where family members are caring for children.
A bimonthly payment of roughly 1,600 pesos will go to directly to parents because the president perceived signs of corruption in the distribution of social development funds.
The same day, inflation figures were at their lowest levels since December 2016. Consumer confidence moderated, however, growing by 1.6 percent in January compared to 13.6 percent in December.
Sources: El Financiero, Digital Journal
