Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is growing increasingly unpopular in his home country, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
The survey finds that President Peña Nieto, three years into his term, has a public approval rating of 44 percent, down from 51 percent in 2014. The data comes after a year plagued by scandal and controversy, and with Mexicans having grown disappointed with key elements of the president's ambitious agenda.
On Peña Nieto's handling of education, just 43 percent give him a favorable review on the issue, down from 55 percent last year. The survey found only 35 percent of Mexicans now think the Mexican president is doing a good job of managing the country’s ongoing battle against organized crime and drug gangs, compared with more than half - 53 percent - in 2014. (It's also important to note that the survey was conducted before the prison escape of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in July.)
In terms of the economy, the Pew data shows that about a third (34 percent) of Mexicans say their economy is in good shape, with about 30 percent approving of how Peña Nieto is dealing with it.
The Pew Research Center's findings are based on face-to-face interviews conducted from April 7 to 19, 2015, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 randomly selected adults from across Mexico. Read the full report at pewglobal.org.
