MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uribe, Lula da Silva and Vazquez, best performing leaders

Colombia's Alvaro Uribe, Brazil's Lula da Silva and Uruguay's Tabare Vazquez figure as the leaders with the best performance record according to the 2008 edition of the Ibero-American Governance Barometer 2008.

Uribe ranks first among Ibero-America 22 presidents with 85% approval, and Lula da Silva and Tabare Vazquez follow with 67% and Felipe Calderón with 61%. Uribe is also well placed in regional consideration with a sympathy support of 41.8%. The regional ranking has Brazil's Lula da Silva first with 53.8%, followed by Chile's Michelle Bachelet, 45.9%; Mexico's Calderon with 45.6%; Uribe, 41.8%; Bolivia's Evo Morales with 31.1%; Fidel Castro, 27.7% and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, 26%. The report points out that although Presidents Chavez, Morales and Rafael Correa from Ecuador are recognized for their "populist proposals" it is the "overwhelming results of President Uribe's Democratic Security Policy", which has had a major impact on Latinamerican public opinion. However it must be pointed out that the poll was taken in April following the death in March of Raul Reyes the second in command of the rebel group FARC. The military operation received international criticisms for having bombed the camp in Ecuadorian border territory, which led to a breaking of diplomatic relations. It is not surprising then that only 25.1% of Ecuadorian public opinion feel sympathy towards Colombia's Uribe, Argentina's 24.3%; 33.9% of Nicaraguans and 46.7% of Venezuelans. The document also gives support to the re-election movement in Latinamerica with re-elected presidents of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic having a positive response from their country's public opinion. "This is a strong argument that helps explain re-election tendencies in Latinamerica" says the report. Mercosur presidents' performance, besides Brazil and Uruguay, are as follows: Argentina's Mrs. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, 44%; Paraguay's former president Nicanor Duarte, 9%; Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, 54%; Peru's Alan Garcia, 35%; Bolivia's Evo Morales, 56%; Ecuador's Rafael Correa, 57%; Chile's Michelle Bachelet, 44%. Other leaders: US George Bush, 21% and Spain's Jose Luis Rodríguez, 52%. Regarding public opinion trust in institutions, political parties and parliaments don't have a rewarding approval, rather the contrary. Overall in Latinamerica confidence in political parties is only extensive to 14% of interviews and 24% for Congress. However Armed Forces muster strong respect, particularly in 13 of Ibero-american countries. Colombia and Puerto Rico rank first with 70% trusting them; Spain with 68%; Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico, 65%; Nicaragua, 63%; Bolivia, 61%; Chile and Venezuela, 58%; Dominican Republic, 54%; El Salvador, 52%. At the other end figures Argentina, 30%; Guatemala, 23% and Paraguay, 20%. The barometer discovered that the three outstanding problems common to the region are: insecurity, 17%: unemployment, 15% and corruption, 15%. "As in previous years insecurity ranks as the first concern because it continues as the main threat to regional democracies and a barrier for economic development and for quality of life of the average citizen". How presidents have addressed the insecurity issue has Panama, Colombia and Argentina with percentages above 50; Mexico, Hispanics in the US, Spain and El Salvador have percentage ranging between 30 and 50%, while the rest figure below 30%, Unemployment is the second concern in spite of the fact that Latinamerica has experienced strong growth for several years running. This year's edition of the Iberoamerican barometer interviewed 12.401 people in 22 countries.