Chilean President José Antonio Kast's approval fell four points to 29% and his disapproval rose to 66%, according to the Plaza Pública poll No. 700 by [Cadem](https://cadem.cl/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Track-PP-700-Octubre-S4-M2-VF.pdf), published on Sunday, October 25, 2026. It is the first time the president has dropped below 30% since he took office on March 11. The same poll shows that 92% disagree with the sentence reductions granted to people convicted of sexual crimes against minors.
The poll was conducted online on Friday, October 23, among 1,010 people in 178 municipalities, the same day the Ministry of Justice suspended the processing of those decrees. These are the numbers, the series of recent weeks and what the poll does and does not allow us to conclude.
Kast's approval in the Cadem poll, week by week
| Cadem reading | Approve | Disapprove |
|---|---|---|
| September 25 | 34% | 62% |
| October 2 | 34% | 61% |
| October 9 | 32% | 65% |
| October 16 (No. 698) | 30% | 65% |
| October 20 (No. 699) | 33% | 62% |
| October 23 (No. 700) | 29% | 66% |
Source: weekly presidential approval chart in Cadem report No. 700. When there are two readings in a week, Cadem averages the president's figure. The remaining 5% did not answer. The previous low was the reading of the week of October 16, which we analyzed in last week's Cadem poll.
What the Cadem poll says about the sentence reductions
Cadem asked for the first time about the 56 sentence reductions that the Ministry of Justice granted between March and September to people convicted of sexual abuse and rape of minors. Awareness is almost universal and rejection cuts across the board.
| Cadem question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Did you hear that the government granted sentence reductions to 56 people convicted of sexual crimes against minors? | Yes: 89%. No: 11% |
| Regardless of the legal reasons, do you agree with granting reductions to people convicted of sexual crimes against minors? | Disagree: 92%. Agree: 3%. No answer: 5% |
| Most important news of the week | Sentence reductions: 36%. Losses in pension funds D and E: 33% |
Source: Cadem No. 700. Questions translated from Spanish. On October 23, Justice Minister Fernando Rabat announced he would leave "the processing of these decrees suspended" while legal changes go through Congress, according to BioBioChile. On Sunday he ruled out resigning (24 Horas). The full case is in our article on the sentence reductions, and the fall of Fund E in why Fund E fell.
What Chileans think about investment, according to Cadem
Ahead of Enade, the business conference held on October 28 under the slogan "Time to invest", Cadem included questions on investment and companies:
| Question | Top answers |
|---|---|
| What conditions does a company need to invest in Chile? | Economic growth 29%, clear and stable rules 23%, political stability 16%, security 8% |
| What is the most important thing a good company should do? | Create jobs 42%, pay good wages 21%, be profitable 11%, offer fair prices 9% |
| Your main personal investment priority | Saving for the future 25%, buying a home 17%; health, starting a business and educating children, 13% each |
| Main focus for Chile to become a better country (two answers) | Economic growth and investment 34%, jobs and wages 29%, security and organized crime 28% |
Source: Cadem No. 700, given options. The labels for investment priorities were read from the chart in the report.
How to read the poll
- It is an online, non-probability poll: Cadem uses quotas by age, area and socioeconomic level and weights by gender, age, area, socioeconomic level and vote in the 2025 runoff. It does not report a margin of error.
- One week is not a trend: approval rose from 30% to 33% on October 20 and fell back to 29% three days later. It is better to look at several readings and compare them with other polls.
- Timing matters: fieldwork coincided with the day of greatest coverage of the sentence reduction case.
What comes next for the government
This week the government faces the debate on the 2027 Budget (see what the 2027 Budget prioritizes), the Central Bank's rate decision on Tuesday the 27th and the opposition's assessment of a constitutional accusation against Minister Rabat. Former Justice Minister Luis Cordero warned that suspending the decrees involves a "legal risk", because the ministry "has the obligation to decide" (La Tercera). Cadem publishes a new reading every Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kast's rating in the latest Cadem poll?
29% approval and 66% disapproval in poll No. 700, with fieldwork on October 23, 2026.
Is it Kast's lowest approval?
Yes. It is the first time he has dropped below 30% since taking office on March 11, 2026, according to Cadem's series.
What do Chileans think about the sentence reductions?
92% disagree with reducing the sentences of people convicted of sexual crimes against minors; 3% agree.
How many people answered the poll?
1,010 people aged 18 and over, online, in 178 municipalities across the 16 regions.
Does it have a margin of error?
No. It is an online poll with non-probability quota sampling, so Cadem does not report a margin of error.
