Milei closes 2025 as the South American president with the best image, although all bear high rejection

Redacción América.- The President of Argentina, Javier Milei, leads in December the ranking of South American leaders with the highest positive image, although none of the region’s leaders manage to close the year with a favorable balance, as they all present high levels of disapproval that equal or exceed their percentages of support, according to a report by the Argentine consultancy CB Consultora Opinión Pública.

Milei tops the list with a 48.3% approval rating, compared to 47.2% recorded in November, despite his negative image reaching 49.5%. The Argentine president took office in December 2023 and remains the most highly valued in the bloc, although with a clearly divided society. Secondly, the President of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, whose government began in November of this year, appears, with a favorability of 47.6%, down from 51.7% the previous month, while his citizen rejection stands at 47.5%. The third position is held by the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with 47.1% approval compared to 48.5% in November, in a scenario of negative balance, as his disapproval reaches 49.6%.

Off the ‘podium’

Lula is followed by the Uruguayan ruler, Yamandú Orsi, who took office in March of this year, with a backing of 43.3%, down from 46.1% the previous month, and a negative image that rises to 54.3%. In fifth place is the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, who registers a slight improvement in his approval rating, which rises to 42.9% from 41.3% in November, although his negative image continues to be the majority, with 54.3%. Below appears the Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, who will hand over the position in March 2026 and shows a slight recovery, with 41.1% approval compared to 40.4% last month, but with a rejection that remains high, at 55.1%. Ecuador’s President, Daniel Noboa, registers a favorability of 39.4%, well below previous levels, while his negative image reaches 57.5%. In Peru, interim leader José Jerí obtains 37.2% citizen support, versus a rejection of 48.6%, although he improves compared to November, when his positive image was 32.5%.

Petro and Maduro, in the background among the presidents

At the bottom of the ranking is the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who has the worst regional evaluation, with a 72.1% negative image compared to just a 24.3% positive valuation, although the latter rises from the 21.4% recorded in November.

The low level of support for Maduro also occurs amid the growing tension between Venezuela and the U.S., following the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean, which Washington claims is to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, while Caracas maintains that this action seeks to force a change in the Executive. In the penultimate place is the ruler of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, with a negative image of 61.4% against a 34.9% favorability, below the 36.7% of the previous month. The CB Consultora poll was conducted between December 9 and 13 with 11,921 people, with samples of between 1,030 and 1,579 respondents per country, a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of between ±2 and 3%.