LatinNews Daily Report - 28 January 2013

POLITICS| Polls spell trouble for Villarán. On 27 January a Peruvian daily, La República, published a survey by pollsters GFK in which 60% of respondents said that the mayor of Lima, Susana Villarán, who is facing an unprecedented recall vote on 17 March, should step down. Only 39% said she should remain in her post. The Lima-wide poll suggests growing opposition to Villarán. Her approval rating was 29%, down from 34% in a previous GFK poll in December. Her disapproval rating was 67%, up five percentage points on December. The latest poll comes on the heels of the decision by the Lima district of San Juan de Lurigancho to declare Villarán a ‘persona non-grata’ after a 24 January extraordinary council meeting. The move was in response to remarks made by Villarán, while announcing new infrastructure works to benefit the district, considered insulting by San Juan de Lurigancho residents.