The Panama Papers are a set of 11.5 million confidential documents detailing information about more than 214,000 offshore companies compiled by the Panamanian corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca, including the identities of company shareholders and directors.
According to a survey, conducted by the international research firm Dichter & Neira commissioned by local TV channel TVN, 45% of Panamanians are not aware of the scandal of Panama securities. Another 5% found it difficult to answer the question.
Out of the 50% of Panamanians who are aware of it, the majority (91%) believe that the scandal had a negative impact on the country's image in the world, with 81% saying that it had a negative effect on the national economy and 55% seeing it as having a negative effect on their personal well-being.
At the same time, more than half of citizens, 55%, feel negatively about the actions that were taken by President Juan Carlos Varela in this regard.
It was also noted that the president's approval rating over the past month has not changed as 46% of respondents expressed their support for Juan Carlos Varela, while 49% were against him.
In comparison to the data collected in May 2015, the president's approval rating has fallen by 20%.