The PODER/Newsweek/Zogby Interactive survey polled 18-29-year-olds in the United States, Latin America and Spain.  Sample sizes for each nation surveyed are: U.S. 600, Spain 400 and Latin America 656 (Mexico 154, Brazil 267, Argentina 62, Colombia 64, Peru 43, Venezuela 40 and Chile 26).  

The results of the survey were revealed this morning at the ABC Reconciliation Forum, the inaugural event of Americas Business Council, a not-for-profit organization formed by Latin America's most prominent business leaders focused on addressing important business and societal issues facing the Americas.

Zogby International has taken particular interest in the 18-29 age cohort. Company founder and CEO John Zogby is calling them First Globals^TM because of their outward-looking attitudes and comfort with an interconnected world.

Here is a summary of the survey topics and results:

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA & THE U.S.

• 91% in Latin America and 81% in Spain have a favorable impression of Obama, making him more popular among First Globals^TM in those places than in the U.S., where 63% of them were favorable.

• 81% of U.S. young people, 55% in Latin America and 42% in Spain have an overall favorable impression of the U.S. Unfavorable opinions of the U.S. are: U.S. 18%, Latin America 43% and Spain 51%.

• Majorities agree that the U.S. under President Obama will have a closer relationship with Latin America than it had  during the tenure of President George W. Bush. Here are the totals that feel this way: U.S. 55%, Latin America 75% and Spain 76%.

VENEZUELA

A majority of First Globals^TM surveyed - 73% in U.S., 76% in Latin America, and 86% in Spain  - believe that President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is either "a dictator" or "a dictator in the making." However, a large percentage of those surveyed believe that the U.S. should reach out to Venezuela with a message of reconciliation.  Expressing that view were 44% of U.S. respondents, 75% in Latin America and 62% in Spain.

Among Venezuelans, 55% view Chavez as "a dictator" or "a dictator in the making" and 78% believe that the U.S. should reach out to Venezuela in the spirit of reconciliation.  Also, 38% of Venezuelan respondents believe that Chavez is a democratic leader.

CUBA

Most respondents believe that the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba should be "lifted" or "softened some" - 58% in the U.S., 73% in Latin America, and 61% in Spain.  Others surveyed - 21% in the U.S., 10% in Latin America, and 16% in Spain - state that U.S. policy towards the island nation should remain the same, while 8% in the U.S. as well as 7% in both Latin America and Spain believe the U.S. embargo towards should "get more drastic."

BEST LEADERS

We also asked First Globals^TM to choose the three best-suited leaders from a group of ten heads of state to guide their nations into the future. The list of leaders in the survey were Obama, Felipe Calderon of Mexico, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Alan Garcia of Peru, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva of Brazil, Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Evo Morales of Bolivia, and Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain.

U.S. young people surveyed choose U.S. President Obama (69%), Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain (27%) and President Michelle Bachelet (23%) of Chile. 

Latin American respondents believe that Barack Obama (85%) Luiz Inacio Lula DeSilva of Brazil (53%) and Argentine President Cristina Kuchner (32%) are the best leaders for their respective nations. 

In Spain, young people surveyed view President Obama (92%), their own Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (55%) and Cristina Kuchner of Argentina (43%) as the most suited to guide their own countries. 

WORST LEADERS

Among the worst suited leaders, a majority of respondents choose Venezuela's Hugo Chavez - 64%in the U.S., 66% in Latin America, 84% in Spain.  

In the U.S., 35% rated Mexico's Felipe Calderon worst, and 23% said that about President Obama.  In Latin America, First Globals^TM view Ecuador's Evo Morales (50%) and Mexico's Felipe Calderon (26%) as highly unfavorable leaders.  In Spain, respondents choose Evo Morales of Ecuador (42%) and their own Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (23%) as worst.

ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

A majority of respondents believe governments need to protect their citizens.  Young people surveyed agree government should do more to help poor people -- 60 % in the U.S., 90% in Latin America, and 88% in Spain -- as well as protect its people from big business -- 51% in the U.S., 66% in Latin America, and 86% in Spain. 

Respondents were also asked if they trusted their own governments "to do what is right most of the time." Young people surveyed agree -- 29% in the U.S., 44% in Latin America and 26% in Spain -- that their respective governments actually do the right thing the majority of the time.  Disagreeing with that are 57% in the U.S., 45% in Latin America, and 56% in Spain. 

There were varied responses among First Globals^TM surveyed on whether Latin American governments are handling the current economic crisis well.  In the U.S., young people respond as follows: 8% agree, 31% disagree, and 61% are unsure.  In Latin America , 51% agree,  while 34% disagree, and 15% of respondents are not sure.  In Spain, 14% agree with the statement, 54% disagree and 32% are unsure. 

On the issue of free trade, a large percentage of First Globals^TM surveyed believe that it benefits all people - 52% in the U.S., 63% in Latin America, and 43% in Spain.  Others disagree with that statement - 30% in the U.S. and Latin America, and 36% in Spain. 

WAR ON DRUGS           

A large majority of respondents -- 84% in U.S., 70% in Latin America, and 84% in Spain - believe that the results of the war on drugs in Latin America are "fair"or "poor."  Respondents who view the efforts against illegal drugs as "good" or "excellent" are 4% in the U.S., 29% in Latin America, and 9% in Spain.

MEXICO

When respondents were asked if President Calderon of Mexico is in control of his country, a large percentage of respondents disagree -- 59% in the U.S., 47% in Latin America, and 53% in Spain.  Other young people surveyed -- 13% in the U.S., 39% of Latin America , and 16% in Spain-- believe that President Calderon is in control. A significant number of respondents - 28% in the U.S., 14% in Latin America, and 31% in Spain - are unsure.

A majority of First Globals^TM surveyed - 55% in the U.S., 80% in Latin America, and 75% in Spain - agree that inequality is one of the causes for the violence in Mexico.  Yet, most respondents believe that the United States should not intervene to maintain security in Mexico (59% in the U.S., 58% in Latin America, 57% in Spain ).   

Others believe that the U.S. should intervene, even militarily, for the security of the Mexican people - (21% in the U.S., 38% in Latin America, and 25% in Spain).

A majority of Mexican respondents (64%) do not believe that Calderon is in control of his country, while 23% believe he is. Also, 33% agree that the U.S. should intervene, even militarily, to maintain security in their country, and 61% disagree with any type of U.S. intervention in Mexico.

COLOMBIA

When asked to describe the FARC guerrillas in Colombia by one of the following terms - "terrorists", "drug traffickers", "leftist ideologues" or "freedom fighters" --  many respondents believe they are terrorists (31% in U.S., 41% in Latin America, and 59% in Spain ). 

Others describe the FARC as drug traffickers (16%, in the U.S. , 22% in Latin America, and 8% in Spain ) while a large number of those surveyed are unsure or choose  another term to properly name the FARC (38% in the U.S., 15% in Latin America, and 24% in Spain ).

In Colombia, respondents choose the following terms for the FARC -- "terrorists" (36%), "drug traffickers" (25%), "freedom fighters" (16%), or "leftist ideologues" (14%).

First Globals^TM surveyed were also asked to choose a term to describe the Colombian paramilitary groups from the following phrases - "are as criminal as the guerillas", "protect people from the guerillas", "are drug traffickers" or "not sure/other."  Thirty-five percent in the U.S., 45% in Latin America, and 54% in Spain view Colombia's paramilitary groups "as criminal as the guerillas." A large percentage of respondents - 47% in the U.S., 23% in Latin America, and 31% in Spain - are unsure or have another opinion of the paramilitary groups not identified in the survey. 

OPTIMISM & TRAVEL AMONG FIRST GLOBALS^TM

The current economic crisis appears to have taken a toll. A large number of First Globals^TM - 44% in the U.S, 58% in Latin America, and 61% in Spain - do not believe that their financial future is secure.  Those who expect a more stable future totaled 30% in the U.S., 24% in Latin America, and 16% in Spain.

Yet, a high percentage of our respondents plan to go abroad at some point in their lives.  An overwhelming majority expect to travel abroad in the next five years -- 68% in the U.S., 70% in Latin America, and 67% in Spain.  Hoping to work in a foreign country at some point in their lives are 33% in the U.S., 56% in Latin America, and 35% in Spain.  

Margins of error for the three geographic samples in this survey are: U.S. +/- 4.1%, Spain +/-5.0 and Latin America +/- 3.9%.

About PODER:

A leading business magazine, PODER is published monthly and written for a global audience of influential senior business executives, political decision-makers and entrepreneurs. Reaching more than 625,000 across the region, PODER offers business news, profiles and exclusive interviews with high-ranking business and political leaders. Its in-depth, cutting-edge editorial coverage and exclusive insider access and information on the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets have made PODER a significant influence in the social, economic, political and cultural arenas.

About Newsweek

Founded in 1933, Newsweek provides comprehensive coverage of national and international affairs, business, society, science and technology, and arts and entertainment.  Headquartered in New York, Newsweek has bureaus located in the U.S. and around the globe. In addition to its U.S. edition, Newsweek publishes three English-language editions overseas and is the only news magazine with seven weekly local-language editions - in Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Polish, Arabic and Russian.  The magazine appears in more than 190 countries and on the World Wide Web at www.Newsweek.com.

About Zogby International

Zogby International is a public opinion, research, and business solutions firm with experience working in more than 70 countries around the globe. Founded and led by John Zogby since 1984, Zogby International ranks as one of the industry's leaders thanks to its reputation for superior accuracy and reliability. Zogby specializes in telephone, Internet, and face-to-face survey research and analysis for political, corporate, non-profit, and governmental clients. The firm is headquartered in Utica, New York, with offices in Washington D.C. and Miami. John Zogby is the author of The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream (Random House), now available online and in bookstores.

For a methodology statement on this poll, please visit:

http://www.zogby.com/methodology/readmeth.cfm?ID=1393