Support slumps for leftist Venezuela government, says poll

Support slumps for leftist Venezuela government, says poll

March 19, 2008
Caribbean Net News

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters): Support for Venezuela's leftist government has fallen to its lowest level since 2003, a new poll showed on Tuesday, reflecting damage from a stinging referendum vote defeat for President Hugo Chavez.

The government had 34 percent support, the poll published in the El Nacional newspaper said, down from 43 percent at the end of last year when Chavez lost a referendum to extend his powers.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Bloomberg photo

Since losing the December vote, which would have allowed him to run for reelection indefinitely and speed up socialist reforms, Chavez has promised to attack high crime and shortages of some basic foods.

The new poll, taken at the end of February, suggests he is struggling to convince traditional supporters that his government can resolve those day-to-day issues, along with high inflation.

Chavez has warned officials the government risks important losses in elections for state governors and mayors later this year if it does not improve its performance. Currently, the vast majority of governors and mayors are Chavez allies.

In power since 1999, Chavez overcame a short-lived coup in 2002 and a crippling opposition-led shutdown of the oil industry soon after. He won re-election in 2006 with a large majority.

Buoyed by public approval of social spending on health care and education, and confidence in the fast growing oil economy, support for the government peaked at 67 percent in 2005 and stayed above 50 percent until the middle of last year.

The new poll was conducted before Chavez ordered tanks to the border in a fierce diplomatic dispute with Colombia that awoke fears of war in the Andean region.

Venezuela's fractured opposition has failed to significantly capitalize on the government's popularity slump, the survey by respected polling company Datos showed. It put support for other parties at 27 percent, up from 24 percent at the end of last year.

The survey of 2,000 people in urban areas had a margin of error of 2.2 percent.

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