Costa Rica is where the confidence lies

Costa Rica is by far the Central American country with a largest proportion of its population (57 percent) has confidence in the nation's companies, according to the most recent Latinobarómetro opinion poll.

Nicaragua, despite its problems, comes in second at 39 percent, Panama 38 and Honduras 31 percent.

However, only 20 percent of its population supports the government, in which confidence, along with that of the armed forces and police, has slumped after with months of a severe economic and political crisis.