Solís’ approval rating at record low

Only 10 out of 100 Ticos approve of the job President Luis Guillermo Solís is doing, according to results of the latest opinion poll by consulting firm CID Gallup released this week. That’s the lowest of any Costa Rican president in 38 years.

Of the 10 percent who said they approve of Solis’ work, only 1 percent considered his work “Very Good,” while the remaining 9 percent said it was “Good.”

Almost 40 percent of those polled said Solís’ work in office has been “Regular” and 37 percent considered it “Bad.”

Eighty percent of respondents said they believe Solís is leading the country in the wrong direction and said they are pessimistic about the goals the president can achieve during his remaining two years in office.

That same group of people think the country’s financial situation is worse than it was a year ago. Only two out of 10 people believe the country will be better within a year.

Just over halfway through his four-year term, Solís’ approval rating is at its lowest level yet.

Negative opinions of Solís are more common among those who said their financial situation deteriorated in the past year and among those who claim to read or watch news at least three or more times a week, the study noted.

CID Gallup conducted its survey from Aug. 6-11 by telephone and via home visits to 1,205 adults across the country. The poll has a margin of error of 2.38 points and a confidence level of 95 percent, the company reported.

Official reaction

Casa Presidencial‘s only response came from Presidency Minister Sergio Alfaro, who said Tuesday that the administration had yet to review the study’s methodology and conclusions to fully understand how the results were obtained.

The minister said the survey results were difficult to take but that he believes “the administration is doing well, the country’s economy is growing properly and currently there is no inflation.”

Alfaro said the government is working every day to provide Costa Ricans with a better quality of life. He said the administration will keep focusing on getting things done, regardless of negative opinions from polls.