(ZENIT News / Managua, 12.06.2023).- In a recent survey conducted by the Costa Rican polling institute CID Gallup, three bishops from the Catholic Church in Nicaragua have emerged as the most popular public figures, while President Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo received low ratings. This revelation highlights the significant trust the public places in high-ranking clergy.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, currently incarcerated, achieved the best result with a positive rating of +15. Nearly half of the respondents (47%) gave him a positive rating, while 32% rated him negatively. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes from the capital city of Managua closely followed with a positive rating of +13 (46% approval and 33% disapproval). Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Báez, in exile since 2019, received a rating of +10, with 43% approval and 33% rejection.
In contrast, President Ortega and his family faced negative evaluations. Ortega was rejected by 46% of respondents, with only 38% giving him positive ratings (rating: -8). His son, Laureano Facundo Ortega Murillo, also received a low rating, with 43% disapproval and 35% approval. Vice President Rosario Murillo received a negative rating of -5%, with 44% against and 39% in favor.
The results come from a survey conducted between October 17 and November 15, 2023, polling 800 Nicaraguans over 18 years old who own mobile phones. According to CID Gallup, the margin of error is 2.93%.
A significant finding is that 72% of respondents «disagree» with the conviction of Bishop Álvarez to more than 26 years in prison, considering him «innocent.» Only 9% believe he is «guilty.»
The survey also explored the willingness to emigrate, revealing that 60% of respondents would be willing to leave Nicaragua if given the opportunity, while 39% would choose to stay. Despite this desire to emigrate, most consider it unlikely to happen in the next six months, with only 26% saying it is «very likely» to migrate to the United States and 21% considering it «very likely» to migrate to Costa Rica.
