Kast Approval Slides to 29.1% — Lowest of His Term — As Fuel Protests Persist

Pulso Ciudadano polling released in late April 2026 showed President José Antonio Kast's approval rating at 29.1%, the lowest point since his inauguration on March 11, 2026, with disapproval rising to 55.6%. Only 24.1% approved of ministerial performance against 62.7% disapproval. The collapse — from 59% approval at inauguration — followed fuel price increases of 32% for gasoline and 62% for diesel announced on March 23, triggering the largest protests Chile had seen since the 2019 estallido social. The government introduced transport subsidies and frozen transit fares as palliative measures, but the political damage had already registered with a public that was already stretched thin by post-pandemic cost-of-living pressures.