Despite Sebastián Piñera’s intense media deployment, government approval remains at 8% and disapproval rises to 76%, according to the fourth monthly Data Influence report, applied between Last Saturday and This Monday, March 16, which coincides with the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.
“The President spoke on several presidential chains every day and fails to increase his approval by one gram, he couldn’t get anything back, and also the perception that his resignation favors calm is still on the table,” says Axel Callís, director of TúInfluyes.com, on one of the most eye-catching results of the survey.
Indeed, the presidential image is still struck, to the point that 56% believe that the resignation of Sebastián Piñera would favor the end of the social crisis that Chile is experiencing.
Plebiscite
The survey also shows that in the face of the possibility of suspension of the constituent plebiscite, an alternative that at the time of application of the survey was only under discussion, 54% rejected the postponement despite the existence of a high number of infected persons.
“One of the most striking facts is the deep distrust of people to the political class. People who prefer to go and vote having 10 thousand or 5 thousand infected is one thing that hits. It is so suspicious that people still prefer to risk going to vote on suspicion of being suspended from the plebiscite and that speaks that there is a portion in Chile that they believe nothing of politics or authority and this confirms it recklessly” Callís explains.
Added to this is the perception that the suspension of the plebiscite suits the far right (23%) and right in general (27%), and it also intersects with a generational theme, where young people lead the levels of high distrust.
“Those who want to go to vote are more young people, the ones who suspect authority are also young people, that is, young people are in a much more homogeneous position than adults,” he adds.
Faces of approval and rejection
The survey also consulted by personalities whom citizens identify with rejection or approval in the constituent plebiscite. What is striking in this case is that in the Apruebo option, the strongest face is the mayor of Las Condes, Joaquín Lavín, a UDI militant.
“In the “I approve” option, Lavín is an important face, that is, someone on the right is the face of the left and center option. That is a profound problem in this sector that has not been able to position anyone, and that speaks of the lack of leadership in its ranks,” says the analyst about what is happening in the former New Majority and the Broad Front.
In the Rejection, the strongest face is José Antonio Kast, leader of the Republican Party, over options such as that of Senator RN Andrés Allamand, or former minister Marcela Cubillos.
And another key fact that the poll is that Piñera is linked to the Rejection, despite the policy of neutrality that the Government has tried to impose on this issue.
The reject also mentions the name of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, and the leader of the far-right group capitalism Revolutionary Capitalism, Sebastian Izquierdo.
