MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peruvian President's approval ratings keep sinking

News outlets are concerned with how to harm the government with the next headline, Castillo argued

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo Terrones' approval ratings fell yet again, according to an Ipsos survey released Sunday by the Lima newspaper El Comercio. Meanwhile, 79% of Peruvians also disapproved of the management of Congress, the study showed.

Nevertheless, Castillo, who is about to complete his first year in office and has already survived two Congressional impeachment attempts, had been deeper in disgrace with a 76% negative image back in April.

Meanwhile, 20% of the people surveyed supported the president's administration, three points below last month's figures. Lima was the area where Castillo has the highest level of rejection with 87% and approval of just 9%. Outside Lima, disapproval reached 67% and approval 26%. In the north, rejection is 77%, while in the south the figure is reduced to 56%, with 37% approval.

Castillo's performance in the fight against crime was disapproved by 81% of Peruvians and his handling of the economy and the rising inflation earned him an 80% rejection.

Regarding health care, Castillo's government found a 30% approval and only 28% when it came down to education, which used to be the President's forte before joining politics.

Castillo had said Saturday in Ayacucho, where he was attending some official engagements, that he believed neither in newspapers nor in public opinion polls and insisted that “time has come to believe in the people themselves; only the people save the people.”

The president again questioned the media and the use of polls. He claimed news outlets were concerned with how to harm the government with the next headline. But so far the press “has not found a single piece of evidence” of corruption against him.

Castillo also pointed out that “we have gone through more bloody struggles, where we have continued battling with peasants, with workers, with teachers, with transporters asking for vindications? And some people think that here we are going to bend despite the fact that they mess with everything, with your children, with your parents, with your family.”

Prime Minister Aníbal Torres was shown to have a 69% rejection.