Security Successes Don't Add Up to Popularity for Mexico President Patrick Corcoran - InSight Crime
go to original May 26, 2014

Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto has made turning the page on the violence of the past administration one of his foremost goals, but his declining approval rating raises questions about whether this strategy is working.

Despite a series of political and security successes, Peña Nieto has failed to consolidate himself as a broadly popular leader. On the contrary, according to polling firm Consulta Mitofsky, the proportion of Mexicans expressing disapproval of Peña Nieto's government has increased every quarter since he was inaugurated in December 2012. In the most recent survey - following the fifth quarter of his time in office - for the first time more people disapproved of Peña Nieto (50.8 percent) than approved of him.

This is far worse than the results for either of Peña Nieto's two immediate predecessors at a corresponding point in their presidency. While Vicente Fox showed an even lower approval rating than Peña Nieto after his fifth quarter, this was the only time in his presidency that his numbers dipped below 50 percent, according to Mitofsky, and for the first four quarters his approval rating was significantly higher. Felipe Calderon's rating was under 60 percent just twice during the corresponding time period.

The latest figure represents an approximately 15-point rise in disapproval of Peña Nieto since Mitofsky showed a favorable rating 20 percent higher than the unfavorable figure in December 2012. The current president's lack of popularity raises serious questions about the sustainability of his security policy.

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