- More people now approve than disapprove of Gustavo Petro
- Invamer poll shows sentiment ahead of May 29 presidential vote
By Oscar Medina, Bloomberg News
BOGOTA
EnergyNet.com 02 18 2022
Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, who has pledged to end oil exploration, is gaining popularity three months ahead of the election, according to a new poll.
Petro has an approval rating of 42%, while his disapproval rating now stands at 40%, according to the most recent Invamer opinion poll, published by Blu Radio. That’s the first time in nearly four years that more Colombians have approved rather than disapproved of the controversial candidate.
A sitting senator and former mayor of Bogota, Petro has called for Colombia to shift its economic model away from oil and coal, which account for nearly half of the nation’s exports. Every major poll conducted in recent months has shown him with a wide lead ahead of the May 29 vote.
Petro is popular among poorer Colombians, with poverty levels and jobless rates still stuck above pre-pandemic levels, even after the economy grew at its fastest pace in more than a century last year. A surge in inflation is also making life harder for people on low incomes.
The poll showed 85% of respondents see things in Colombia as “getting worse”, compared to only 9% who see an improvement. It shows a generalized negative opinion about the economy, inflation, the fight against poverty, corruption and security, said Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis.
“There is a generalized negativity in the country and that favors candidates who show a platform of opposition to the status quo,” Guzman said. “This drastically improves Gustavo Petro’s chances of not only making it to the second round, but potentially winning.”
President Ivan Duque’s approval rating stands at 20%, compared to a disapproval rating of 73%. The poll of 1,200 people was conducted Feb. 4 to Feb. 13 and has a margin of error of 2.83%.
Colombia holds congressional elections as well as primaries on March 13, where voters will choose candidates who appear on ballots in May with a possible run-off in June.
blo,,berg.com 02 17 2022
