Chile: Piñera at Lowest Approval Rate Since Becoming President

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has the lowest popularity rate of his mandate, with the approval rate at 7 percent according to the latest data by pollster Criteria published on Thursday.

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The survey indicates that the figure is "the lowest approval figure for Sebastián Piñera and the lowest in the entire series of Criteria polls ." This as the disapproval increased 9 percentage points to reach 87 percent.

According to the survey, "the government, in general, and the President, in particular, have had a hard time understanding the symbolic dimension of the conflict between citizens and the elite."

"From there, the tremendous presidential disengagement illustrated by a  walk through Cachagua beach without a mask is explained with the consequent rejection that it unleashed among a majority of citizens," Criteria adds.

However, looking beyond Piñera's mandate, marked by social inequality, waves of protests, social injustice, and police brutality, the first choice for Chileans among a range of possible candidates is one of the leading figures of the Communist Party, Daniel Jadue. Criteria point out that thus far, 15 percent of those who wish to see a new president pick Jadue, followed by right-winger Joaquín Lavín with 10 percent.