Calderon's approval rating continues to fall, reaching 44.2 percent at the end of February

El Semanario

The blow that the economic crisis delivered to Mexicans also has hit President Felipe Calderon's popularity, with only 44.2 percent of respondents to the most recent poll giving him a favorable rating.

According to the survey of 3,000 Mexicans over the age of 18 by Consulta Mitofsky, the level of disapproval increased as 2009 continued, plummeting 13 percent throughout the year and descending even further from December through February.

"It is safe to say that the decline in public approval is directly tied to the economic crisis that the country suffered as a whole during 2009." said Consulta Mitofsky. "With households experiencing unemployment, price increases and new taxes, these are conditions under which it is unthinkable that levels of approval would increase."

The consulting firm revealed that in the last quarter, seven out of 10 Mexicans believed that Calderon's main problem is economic, while one in four said his unpopularity is related to the nation's unsecurity as a result of the president's war on drug trafficking.

Other opinion surveys also are highlighting a similar downward trend in the president's popularity.

According to the quarterly national survey Berumen and Associates, sponsored by El Universal, the president's fell 13 points, going from 54 percent in March 2009 to 41 percent at the end of February 2010,
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