MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Boric's approval ratings sink after Monsalve scandal

Boric's latest ratings matched those he achieved in early May after the murder of the three Carabineros officers

Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font's approval ratings fell sharply, according to a survey by pollsters Cadem Plaza Pública released in Santiago during the weekend. The head of state was found to only have a 27% positive image after the sex scandal involving former Interior Undersecretary Manuel Monsalve, who resigned days after the case against him was filed and only when he failed to keep it from public knowledge.

 (Read also: Chile: Monsalve resigns amid rape allegations)

In this scenario, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá's acceptance also went down. In her case, it was by 11 points, reaching an all-time low of 35% approval, which left her as the worst-performing official under consideration. Overall, Cadem's findings reflected a growing crisis in public confidence.

Boric's latest measurement represented a 5% drop from the previous Cadem study dating back to Oct. 11, on public perception of how he was conducting his government. According to Cadem's probe, 65% of Chileans disapproved of the President's leadership, while 27% approved of it 5% said they neither approved nor disapproved, and the remaining 3% said they did not know or did not answer. There was a straight correlation as that 5% falling from the positive side added to the 60% dissatisfaction from the previous week.

Regarding Boric's Cabinet, the survey found the following numbers: Jaime Pizarro (Sports) +66%, -29%; Jeannette Jara (Labor and Social Security) +56%, - 39%; Carolina Arredondo (Culture) +55%, -32%; Álvaro Elizalde (Presidential Secretariat -  Segpres) +48%, - 46%; Maya Fernández (Defense) +47%, -46%; Ximena Aguilera (Health) +47%, -48%; Mario Marcel (Finance) +47%, -50%; Carlos Montes (Housing) +46%, -51%; Luis Cordero (Undersecretary of the Interior replacing Monsalve, former Minister of Justice) +41%, -52%; Nicolás Grau (Economy) +40%, -54%; Camila Vallejo (Spokesperson) +38%, -59%; Nicolás Cataldo (Education): +37%, -59%; Carolina Tohá (Interior and Public Security) +35%, -62%.

The survey was the result of 702 telephone consultations nationwide with men and women 18 years of age or older after a total of 7,191 calls, which represented a 9.7% success rate. Chilean analysts noted that Cadem's poll was conducted before Boric's public appearance last Friday which reportedly further damaged his image.

Boric's latest ratings matched those he achieved in early May after the murder of the three Carabineros officers in Cañete.

Recording significant drops were Pizarro (12 percentage points), Aguilera (6pp), Marcel (8pp), Cordero (5pp), and Vallejo (4pp) also registered significant drops.