May 29, 2003

Abstract: (CPOD) May 29, 2003 - A year after being elected, Colombia's Álvaro Uribe maintains a high approval rating, according to a poll by Gallup published in El Espectador. 71 per cent of respondents support the president's administration.

(CPOD) May 29, 2003 - A year after being elected, Colombia's Álvaro Uribe maintains a high approval rating, according to a poll by Gallup published in El Espectador. 71 per cent of respondents support the president's administration.

Uribe's stance on foreign policy, armed groups, drug trafficking and corruption is supported by a majority of respondents. Last week, the government promised action against 147 military officers, who allegedly appropriated millions of dollars seized to the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) guerrillas.

The president's numbers are lower in job creation and the economy. 42 per cent of respondents believe life in the country will get better, while 37 per cent say the situation will worsen.

Polling Data

Do you approve of president Álvaro Uribe's performance?

	May 2003	Apr. 2003
Yes	71%	68%

Do you support the way the government is dealing with the following issues?

	Yes
Foreign Policy	74%
Corruption	70%
Drug traffickers	65%
Armed guerrillas	64%
Unemployment	58%
Economy	49%

Are things getting better—or worse—in Colombia?

Better	42%
Worse	37%

Source: Gallup / El Espectador
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 501 Colombian citizens, conducted on May 20 and May 21, 2003. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.