Moreno popularity is high in poll of government officials; Cuenca mayor ranks low

Less than a month after assuming the presidency, Lenin Moreno receives a 68 percent approval rating in a poll taken of the country’s top leaders. Only Guayaquil Mayor Jaime Nebot received higher marks, at 68.8 percent.

President Moreno enjoys sky-high public support.

The Perfiles de Opinión poll, on the other hand, showed that Cuenca Mayor Marcelo Cabrera has lost support since the last poll, taken in October, receiving an approval rating of 39.5 percent. Quito Mayor Maurico Rodas is doing even worse at, 25.8 percent.

According to notes provided by the pollsters, both Cabrera and Rodas have been hurt by delays and controversy surrounding large mass transit projects in their cities. The poll was conducted before allegations of possible connections of Quito’s Metro subway project to the Odebrecht corruption scandal were revealed last week.

Another poll taken by University of San Francisco-Quito graduate students gives Moreno and even higher approval rating than the Perfiles poll, at 72.5 percent. The poll gave former presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso and former President Rafael Correa ratings of 42 percent and 37 percent respectively.

Both polls were taken between June 8 and 13.