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Chilean president's popularity marred by son's corruption scandal

Xinhua, February 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet's popularity has slipped sharply amid her son's corruption scandal, local media reported Monday.

Bachelet's approval rating fell to 31 percent, nine percentage points lower than last week, while her disapproval rating climbed eight points to 54 percent, said the BioBio Chile daily, citing a survey by polling firm Cadem.

Sebastian Davalos, the president's son and the government's director of charitable and social affairs, came under fire earlier this month for helping his wife secure a multimillion-dollar loan for her company in the days leading up to Bachelet's election as president in 2013.

Davalos was accused of using influence in securing the money that was used to purchase land later sold to a developer for a 6-million-U.S. dollar profit. The real estate deal has also raised suspicions of the possible use of privileged information.

According to the Cadem poll, 60 percent of those surveyed said Bachelet knew of her son's business dealings, and 76 percent said Davalos used his position as son of then candidate Bachelet to secure the loan.

Davalos had to resign from his post amid increasing pressure and criticism from both the conservative political opposition and members of the left-leaning ruling party. Endi