Bukele stands at the top with 69.1% approval—a commanding lead
Each month, the numbers speak a quiet verdict on those who govern: in June 2026, CB Global Data surveyed citizens across eighteen Latin American nations and found a region deeply divided in its confidence toward its leaders. El Salvador's Nayib Bukele commands the highest trust at 69.1%, while Peru's José María Balcázar languishes at 18.2%, a gap that reflects not merely personalities but the uneven fortunes of governance itself. Between these poles, the rankings remind us that legitimacy is never granted permanently — it is earned, lost, and sometimes, as Venezuela's Delcy Rodríguez demonstrated with a 5.4-point monthly gain, slowly reclaimed.
- Bukele's 69.1% approval sets him apart as the region's most trusted leader, with Mexico's Sheinbaum and Costa Rica's Fernández forming a distinct upper tier well above the rest.
- A wide middle band of presidents — from Lula to Kast to Noboa — cluster in the 40s and 30s, signaling fragile mandates that could shift with any economic or security shock.
- Peru's Balcázar sits at a precarious 18.2%, the lowest in the region, reflecting a country where institutional trust has been eroding for years without clear resolution.
- Venezuela's Rodríguez posted the largest single-month improvement in the survey — up 5.4 points — yet remains second-to-last, suggesting momentum without yet meaningful recovery.
- Bolivia's Rodrigo Paz suffered the sharpest monthly drop at 9.2 points, a reminder of how quickly public confidence can unravel in the region's volatile political climate.
A ranking published this week by CB Global Data maps the state of presidential approval across Latin America in early June 2026, and the picture is anything but uniform. El Salvador's Nayib Bukele leads the region with 69.1% approval, followed by Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum at 65.5% and Costa Rica's Laura Fernández at 56.1% — three leaders who together form a distinct upper tier of genuine public confidence.
Below them, the numbers thin out steadily. The Dominican Republic's Luis Abinader holds 54.8%, Paraguay's Santiago Peña 48.3%, and Brazil's Lula 47.6%. A broad middle band stretches from Bolivia's Rodrigo Paz at 46.4% down through Chile, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Uruguay, all clustered between the high 30s and mid-40s. Argentina's Javier Milei, despite his recent electoral momentum, registers only 37.9%, while Colombia's Gustavo Petro and Panama's José Raúl Mulino hover just above 36%.
At the bottom, Peru's José María Balcázar records just 18.2% — the lowest figure in the region and a measure of how deeply public trust has eroded there. Venezuela's Delcy Rodríguez sits just above him at 29.5%, a position that has become characteristic of her administration. Yet the month-over-month data offers a small counterpoint: Rodríguez gained 5.4 percentage points from May to June, the largest single-month improvement of any president surveyed. Bolivia's Paz, by contrast, lost 9.2 points in the same period — the steepest decline recorded.
The survey was conducted between June 2 and 7 across 18 countries, with national samples ranging from roughly 1,993 to 2,671 respondents and margins of error near 2%. It is a snapshot, not a verdict — but in a region where approval can shift rapidly with economic pressures and political events, even a single month's data carries weight.
A new ranking of Latin American presidents released this week by CB Global Data offers a snapshot of public confidence across the region in early June 2026, and the picture is starkly uneven. El Salvador's Nayib Bukele stands at the top with 69.1% approval among his citizens—a commanding lead that reflects the strongest public backing of any sitting president in the region. Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum follows at 65.5%, and Costa Rica's Laura Fernández rounds out the top three at 56.1%. These three form a distinct tier of leaders with genuinely robust public support.
The next tier drops noticeably. Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic registers 54.8%, Paraguay's Santiago Peña sits at 48.3%, and Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—a figure of continental significance—holds 47.6%. From there, the rankings spread across a middle band of presidents with approval ratings in the 30s and 40s: Bolivia's Rodrigo Paz at 46.4%, Chile's José Antonio Kast at 45.2%, Honduras's Nasry Asfura at 44.5%, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega at 42.9%, Ecuador's Daniel Noboa at 41.7%, and Uruguay's Yamandú Orsi at 38.8%.
The lower reaches of the ranking tell a different story. Argentina's Javier Milei, despite his recent electoral victory, holds only 37.9% approval. Colombia's Gustavo Petro stands at 36.5%, and Panama's José Raúl Mulino at 36%. Guatemala's Bernardo Arévalo registers 33.1%. At the bottom sits Peru's José María Balcázar with just 18.2%—a figure that underscores the depth of public dissatisfaction in that country.
Venezuela's Delcy Rodríguez occupies the second-to-last position at 29.5%, a placement that has become familiar territory for her administration. Yet the month-to-month data reveals something noteworthy: Rodríguez's approval climbed 5.4 percentage points from May to June, the largest monthly gain of any president measured. The improvement, while real, was not enough to lift her out of the bottom tier. Bolivia's Rodrigo Paz experienced the steepest decline, losing 9.2 points month-over-month.
The survey was conducted by CB Global Data across 18 Latin American countries between June 2 and June 7, 2026. Each country's sample ranged from approximately 1,993 to 2,671 respondents, with margins of error hovering near 1.9% to 2.2%. The methodology provides a reasonably consistent snapshot of public sentiment across the region during that narrow window, though it captures only a moment in time—approval ratings in Latin America have historically proven volatile, responsive to economic conditions, security concerns, and the rhythm of political events.
Citas Notables
The greater increase in monthly approval belonged to Delcy Rodríguez, whose positive rating rose 5.4 percentage points from the previous measurement— CB Global Data ranking report
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does Bukele's approval stand so far ahead of everyone else in the region?
The ranking doesn't explain the why—only the what. But 69.1% in a region where most leaders hover in the 30s and 40s suggests something distinctive is happening in El Salvador, whether that's perceived security gains, economic messaging, or something else entirely.
Rodríguez gained 5.4 points but still ranks second-to-last. Does that improvement matter?
It matters as a signal. If her approval is rising while she remains near the bottom, it could suggest a floor—that some portion of the population is returning to her side. Or it could be noise. The real question is whether that trend continues or reverses.
Lula is at 47.6%. That seems low for someone of his stature.
Brazil is a large, complex country with deep regional and class divisions. A president can be historically significant and still face skepticism from half the population. Context matters—where is that 47.6% coming from geographically, demographically?
Balcázar at 18.2% is striking. What does a president do at that level of disapproval?
Govern in a state of permanent crisis, essentially. At that approval level, you're not building consensus or implementing long-term policy. You're managing day-to-day survival. Peru has been in that space for years.
Is this ranking predictive of anything?
Not directly. Approval ratings are snapshots, not prophecies. But they do reflect the political weather people are experiencing right now—and in Latin America, that weather changes quickly.