The country's problems lower Saca's approval ratings slightly

June 1 marked the two year anniversary of the presidency of Tony Saca in El Salvador. In coming posts I will look at some of the events of those 24 months, but will start with the public perceptions of this president. Paradoxically, Tony Saca remains a popular politician, despite the problems facing the country.

In one poll taken by La Prensa Grafica, Saca's approval rating has fallen from 6.8 in August 2005 to 6.4 in May 2006 on a scale of 1 to 10. At the same time, the number of Salvadorans who believe the country is on the wrong track has risen from 52.9% to 62.3%.

Meanwhile, a poll from the University of Central America found Saca's approval rating fall from 7.27 to 6.23 between August 2004 and May 2006. While this has been a decline, it is still quite favorable compared to the ratings of another president, George W. Bush.

According to the La Prensa poll, Salvadorans believe the chief problems facing their country are:
  • Crime -- 26.1%
  • Unemployment -- 18.1%
  • Economy -- 9.2%
  • Gangs -- 6.0%
  • Dollarization -- 5.5%
  • Poverty -- 4.9%

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