Survey: Half of Mexicans approve of Obama

MEXICO CITY, April 30 (UPI) —
Approximately half of Mexicans expressed confidence in U.S. President Obama days before his planned trip south of the border, the Pew Research Center said.

In a national opinion survey of 1,000 Mexican adults, 66 percent said they had a favorable opinion of the United States, up from 56 percent on year ago and up from 44 percent in 2010 after the passage of Arizona’s immigration law, Pew said.

Obama’s approval rating among Mexicans — 49 percent — is also higher than in recent years. About 42 percent thought the American president did the right thing concerning world affairs in 2012 and 38 percent in 2011. His highest approval rating — 55 percent — came in 2009 after his first days in office, Pew said.

Fifty-one percent of Mexicans said they believe the United States takes Mexico’s interests into account when deciding international policy, up from 40 percent in 2012.

President Obama is scheduled to travel Thursday to Medico to discuss economic and commercial relations between the two countries with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

The Pew poll was conducted with face-to-face interviews between March 4-17. The margin of error was 4.1 percent, Pew said.