Chilean leader Bachelet's disapproval rating rises to 64 pct -poll

May 6, 2015 2:53 PM

SANTIAGO, May 6 (Reuters) - Disapproval of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet's performance has risen to a record high for the center-left politician, as ongoing corruption scandals erode trust in her government and the political establishment, according to a poll published on Wednesday.

Sixty-four percent of respondents said they disapproved of Bachelet in April, up three percentage points from the previous month, according to the Gfk Adimark poll. That is the highest disapproval rating for Bachelet, who served a first term from 2006 to 2010 and won the presidency again in 2014.

Bachelet's approval rating hovered at 31 percent for the second straight month in April, a record low for her two terms.

Local media have extensively reported on recent campaign financing scandals, mostly involving politicians from the right-wing UDI party, which is tied closely to late dictator Augusto Pinochet.

There also have been accusations that Bachelet's son used his political connections to help his wife gain preferential access to a $10 million loan.

Bachelet last week attempted to draw a line under the scandals by announcing measures to regulate political financing, and setting a date to draw up a new constitution.

Adimark also said the poll, which was conducted before Bachelet's proposed changes, highlighted an "uncertain scenario" created in part by a slew of natural disasters that have battered Chile over the last couple of months, including deadly floods in its northern region, the eruption of two volcanoes, and widespread forest fires.

The survey polled 1,049 people over the phone from April 7-29, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points. (Reporting by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Paul Simao)