BRASILIA, Brazil, March 26 (UPI) -- The Brazilian government's approval rating took a serious dive amid an ongoing corruption scandal, a poll released Friday indicates.
Ibope Research Institute's quarterly survey revealed approval for the Workers' Party, or PT, administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fell from 66 percent a few months ago to 54 percent.
The government's disapproval rating meanwhile jumped from 25 percent in December to 39 percent.
Trust in Lula dropped from 69 percent to 60 percent, still relatively high considering the circumstances.
The poll has a plus or minus 2.2 percent margin of error, said the Ibope pollsters.
It is the first major poll since a leading magazine reported last month that a former Lula adviser -- though not one at the time -- had solicited campaign funds for certain PT candidates from a known numbers runner during the 2002 elections.
