Leftist Jeannette Jara and far-right politicians Kast and Kaiser lead a race shaped by economic stagnation.

On Thursday, Chile’s political forces held their final campaign events ahead of the presidential election scheduled for Sunday. So far, the presidential candidates with the strongest chances of victory are leftist Jeannette Jara and far-right contenders Jose Antonio Kast and Johannes Kaiser.

RELATED:

Chileans Demand Extradition of Pinochet Dictatorship’s Agent

Former minister Jara, who heads the broadest coalition of progressive forces in Chilean history, and Kast, a traditional leader of Chile’s far right, held their closing rallies on Tuesday with massive events. Kaiser, leading a more confrontational and libertarian movement, held his rally on Wednesday. Evelyn Matthei, the representative of the traditional right, closed her campaign on Thursday.

According to the latest polls, published before the electoral blackout 15 days ago, the main contest is between Jara and Kast. In recent weeks, however, Kaiser has gained strength among voters, and some surveys give him a chance of reaching the Dec. 14 runoff.

This is the first time since Chile’s return to democracy that two competitive far-right candidates have a realistic chance of advancing to the second round. With fewer prospects is former Mayor Matthei, whose second attempt at the presidency has been losing ground for months.

The text reads, “Chile. Jeannette Jara concludes her campaign by recalling the ‘Aylwin’s spirit of a reconciliation among Chileans.’ Then, faced with the need to achieve democracy; today, faced with the risk of democracy being undermined by an ‘authoritarian regression’.”

Rising insecurity and stalled economic growth have dominated the campaign, reflecting the main concerns of a society increasingly disenchanted with politics and experiencing electoral fatigue after more than a dozen elections since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jara, the first Communist Party member in Chilean history to represent the entire center-left and left, focused her campaign on proposing solutions to reduce the cost of living.

Kast, seeking the presidency for the third time, centered his message on the security and migration crises, linking the two issues and sharply criticizing the current government’s performance. He avoided moral debates about the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship (1973–1990), an issue that undermined his second presidential bid four years ago in the election won by current President Gabriel Boric.

With a harsher and more strident tone, Kaiser promised a “firm hand” on security and migration and advocated for a “free economy,” while Matthei emphasized “her experience and ability to govern” as the political heir of former President Sebastian Piñera (2010–2014 and 2018–2022).

Despite what recent polls indicate, the race remains open because, for the first time, voting is mandatory in a presidential election that calls more than 15.6 million Chileans to the polls, including 5.6 million citizens who have never voted and whose political leanings are unknown.

Eight candidates are running to succeed Boric, who cannot seek re-election and will leave La Moneda in March 2026. Along with the presidential race, parliamentary elections will also be held on Sunday to elect 155 legislators, and 23 out of 50 senators.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

IN THIS ARTICLE