Nicaragua: Happy with Ortega

Nicaraguans are happy with the way Daniel Ortega is running their country.

At the other extreme are Hondurans and Costa Ricans, who are the most pessimistic.

The decline in crime is the main reason why Nicaraguans are pleased, although the country is still one of the poorest nations in the hemisphere.

In addition, the cost of living is stable thanks to controlled inflation. Unemployment is a problem, but showed signs of improvement in the past year.

Pessimism in Hondurans is a result of the crime wave affecting the population. Less than 10% of inhabitants are happy with the current state of the country.

Meanwhile, Costa Ricans are concerned over the increasing cost of living, limited options for finding work and little confidence in the public sector.

The data comes from a regional survey by CID Gallup, conducted between September and October, of at least 1,200 people per nation (the figures in brackets reflect percentages of the number of people satisfied with the direction of the country).

1. Nicaragua (55)
2. El Salvador (41)
3. Guatemala (26)
4. Panamá (25)
5. Costa Rica (13)
6. Honduras (9)