MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chavez popularity plunges

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez popularity dropped to 32,3%, the lowest ever since the controversial populist former paratrooper took office three and a half years ago, according to the latest opinion poll taken by Datanálisis.

The poll was based on a one thousand home sample, covering all the country and done between June 6 and 11th.

President Chavez peaked 44,7% last April following the aborted coup d'état by a transitory civilian-military government that held him 48 hours arrested and was headed by a renowned businessman currently exiled in Colombia.

Luis Vicente León, from Datanálisis said the drop in Chavez following can be explained by the extinction of the "emotion spirit" that the institutional April crisis created among the Venezuelan people when he was considered a "victim".

Actually according to the poll, 67% of those interviewed now disapprove of his administration, with a 79% peak among the high bracket income groups.

Even in the poorest sectors, where Chavez supporters are a majority, disapproval reached between 60.2 and 67,9%.

Mr. Chavéz, an admirer of Cuban president Fidel Castro, managed an incredible 90% popularity when he took office in 1999 condemning the political establishment, and maintained high levels until mid 2001 when he began to fall consistently.

President Chavez populist and sometimes autocratic methods have alienated many voters and the Venezuelan society is described as "split" in half, which helps to explain the increased political violence and frustrated coup d'état.

Former president Jimmy Carter and European legislators have visited Venezuela in an attempt to bring government and opposition closer to discuss pending controversial issues and a political way out to the stalemate.

Spanish Socialist Deputy Eduardo Tamayo who is in Venezuela described the situation as dramatic saying that "political tolerance has been broken", with several democratic guarantees imperilled, and the growing temptation of a "tragic solution" to overcome the current institutional crisis.

Mr. Tamayo added the country was polarized, with "strong and divergent" stances in government and opposition that make a negotiated solution to the crisis, "distant".

"If a civilized atmosphere is not rebuilt, if citizens don't recover a minimum trust, I don't want to be pessimistic, then a tragic solution to the problem can't be discarded", sentenced Mr. Tamayo.