Majority of Venezuelans positive about economy under Maduro: poll

Some 57 percent of Venezuelan voters have confidence that the current administration led by President Nicolas Maduro could improve the troubled national economy, according to results of a poll released Tuesday.

The poll, which surveyed 1,300 registered voters around the country between Feb. 10 and 20, found that 56.4 percent respondents believed the economy will improve, compared with 40.2 percent who said it will get worse, Felix Roque, spokesman for polling firm ICS, told the Noticias24 news website.

Asked whether they believed the improvement can take place during the current administration of Maduro, 57.2 percent said yes ... while 31 percent said no," Noticias24 reported.

In other areas of national interests, 80 percent of those surveyed said the government respects and safeguards human rights, while 19.3 percent disagreed.

Regarding legislative elections set to be held later this year, 43.6 percent of respondents said they will vote for the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela or similar left-leaning parties, the poll found.

Meanwhile, some 31.6 percent said they will vote for the conservative opposition coalition, the United Democratic Roundtable, while 24.8 percent said they have not decided yet.

The high number of undecided voters is a reflection of the economic difficulties affecting Venezuela, Roque said. Endi