Popularity of Venezuela's Maduro inches down to 24.3 percent

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gestures in front of a national flag during his visit to a corn plantation in the state of Cojedes, in this handout picture provided by Miraflores Palace on August 12, 2015. REUTERS/Miraflores Palace/Handout via Reuters

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's popularity fell to 24.3 percent in July, hurt by voracious inflation and shortages of goods ranging from spare parts to shampoo, according to respected local pollster Datanalisis.

The oil-producing country is suffering from a brutal recession stemming in part from strict controls that crimp access to hard currency and imports, and aggravated by the tumble in crude prices.