According to T13, President José Antonio Kast’s approval rating fell below 30% for the first time since he took office. Cadem’s latest Plaza Pública poll also shows a decline in assessments of his personal attributes.
The report covers the fourth week of October. It compares presidential attributes measured in April with those measured in October and shows how approval of the government’s performance evolved across different areas.
The central finding is clear. None of the attributes assessed reaches 40% positive responses, and all declined from previous measurements. T13 does not specify the percentage each attribute received.
Cadem asked whether the president is responsible, brave, inspires trust and has the ability to solve the country’s problems. It also asked whether he has authority and leadership, whether he is honest, ethical and transparent, and whether he knows how to manage crises.
The list included other traits: his ability to engage in dialogue and reach agreements, the consistency of his decisions, the clarity of his communication, his responsiveness to people’s needs, his empathy and his charisma.
In assessing performance by area, the poll measured housing, immigration, public works, defense, crime and drug trafficking, international relations, energy, corruption, health, transportation, education, the economy and employment, communications and justice.
At the bottom is justice, with 19% approval. It is followed by communications, at 20%, and relations with Congress, at 22%. T13 does not report the figures for the highest-rated areas.
The three weakest points concern the executive branch’s relationship with other branches of government and with the public. For a government that needs Congress to pass its bills, 22% approval of that relationship complicates its legislative agenda.
The decline coincides with a difficult week for La Moneda, marked by controversy over sentence reductions for child abusers. Cadem’s next weekly poll will show whether approval remains below 30% or whether this is a one-off setback.
