Credit:UNESCO

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Felipe Calderón has a solid mandate in Mexico, according to a poll by Buendía & Laredo published in El Universal. 60 per cent of respondents approve of Calderón’s performance, while 26 per cent disapprove of his work.

Mexican voters chose their new president in July 2006. Official results placed Calderón of the conservative National Action Party (PAN) as the winner with 36.68 per cent of all cast ballots. Calderón—a former energy secretary—took over as Mexico’s head of state in December. During his campaign, he vowed to combat illicit drug trafficking and drug-related crime, as well as to boost Mexico’s economy.

Criminal activity has been a predicament in Mexico for the past few years. According to official National Public Security office statistics, at least 8,416 kidnappings have taken place between 1994 and March 2008. Mexico City has become infamous over the past few years for its "express kidnappings"—a form of quick hostage-taking in which victims are forced to vacate their bank accounts from automated tellers at gunpoint.

Earlier this month, Mexico was shaken by the death of Fernando Martí, the 14-year-old son of a well-known business man, who had been kidnapped in June. Investigators have suggested that the perpetrators were police officers.

Calderón urged Congress to enact a set of new laws in order to tackle the growing number of kidnappings in the country—including life imprisonment for kidnappers who have served or are serving in the police force—declaring, "Society demands that we succeed in this challenge, that we end police corruption."

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Felipe Calderón’s performance as president?

Source: Buendía & Laredo / El Universal
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 800 registered Mexican voters, conducted from Jul. 24 to Jul. 28, 2008. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.

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