MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula da Silva, rated most outstanding leader of the region

Brazilian Pte. Lula da Silva

Brazil's president Lula da Silva is considered the most outstanding leader of the region according to the latest edition of the public opinion poll Latinbarometer 2008 which was released this week in Chile.

The King of Spain Juan Carlos who was top of the list for the last three years has dropped to second place followed by Spanish president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Chile's Michelle Bachelet and Paraguay's recently elected president and former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo.. According to the 1 to 7 scale, Brazil's leader scored 5.9, the King, 5.7 and the Spanish, Chilean and Paraguayan presidents 5.5, in that order. For the first time Argentina's Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has also been ranked but with 4.7 points. Colombia's Alvaro Uribe scored 5.3, followed by Ecuador's Rafael Correa, Mexico's Felipe Calderón and Uruguay's Tabare Vazquez with 5 points. Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president stands with 4.8. Peruvian President Alan García and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez are tied with 4.3 while former Cuban president Fidel Castro and outgoing US president George Bush also tie but at 4.2. Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega figures with 4 points but this was before he was formally accused by the opposition of committing fraud in the recent municipal elections of November 9. The opinion poll was taken between September first and October 11, in all countries of the region and included 20.204 personal interviews, considered 100% representative of the different populations.