Adimark: Bachelet achieves highest approval rating since beginning of term

SANTIAGO.- The latest Adimark poll indicates the highest approval rating for President Michelle Bachelet since April of 2006.

58.5% of the population reportedly supports her direction, while 30.6% disapprove. The latest results represent one of the best approval levels for the President in three years.

According to the poll, the leader's approval rating has been rising since mid September of last year, when the international economic crisis was declared. The paradoxical result is based on a positive perception among Chileans with regards to how the situation has been handled.

Almost all of the approval indicators for the President improved during February, especially those referring to her personal characteristics. "Being liked by Chileans" rose to 82%, while her "leadership", which has traditionally been her weakest attribute, rose to 63%.

With regards to the government administration, the study indicates that its approval rating is lower than that of the President, and shows no change from the previous month. The results even suggest that the gap between the assessment of the President (58.5%) and the Government administration (44.3%), which has a disapproval percentage that is equal to or higher than that of approval, could be widening.