Tuesday, October 28th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

Latinamericans prefer Obama over McCain three to one

A majority of Latin-Americans know little or nothing about the coming US presidential election but a modest majority, 29%, believe Democrat Barack Obama would be more convenient for the region, according to the 2008 version of the Santiago based Latino-barometer public opinion poll which included three questions on the issue.

US presidential McCain & Obama

The poll which covers 18 countries of the region with 1.000 to 1.200 interviews per country to adults over 18 with an error margin of 2.8 to 3 percentage points shows that 40% of Latinamericans declare to know about, and follow the US presidential election. When asked specifically which candidate would be more convenient for Latinamerica, an average 29% mentioned Obama and only 8% John McCain, while another 29% said it made no difference, 31% did not know and 2% did not reply The country with greater knowledge of US elections is Dominican Republic, 60%, followed by Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and El Salvador, in the range of 50% while bottom of the list is Paraguay with 22%. Obama is the favourite candidate in Dominican Republic, 52%; Costa Rica, 43%; Uruguay and Brazil, 41%; Argentina, 36%; Chile, 32%; Mexico, 29%; Paraguay, Ecuador and Colombia, 27%; Venezuela, 26%; Peru, 23% and El Salvador, 22%. Below 20% come Nicaragua, Panama, Bolivia, Guatemala and Honduras. McCain is the choice in Colombia, 19%; El Salvador, 16%; Mexico, 11%; Brazil, 10%; Honduras, 9%; Costa Rica, Guatemala and Venezuela, 8%; Ecuador, 7%; Panamá, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay and Nicaragua, 6%; Bolivia, 5%; Peru, 4% and 3% in Argentina. As to how much attention the new US president will dedicate to Latinamerica, replies are more diverse: 39% Dominican Republic; 31% Brazil; 29% Costa Rica and Uruguay; Venezuela and Mexico, 27%; Colombia, 25%; Argentina and Paraguay, 24%; Nicaragua, 21%; Chile and Ecuador, 19%; Peru, 16%; Guatemala and Panama, 15%. Who are most pessimistic about the next US president and Latinamerica are Argentines and Mexicans, 44%; El Salvador, 41%; Chile, 40%; Costa Rica, 39%; Honduras and Brazil, 35% and 32% Uruguay.

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