Chilean voters pits between far-right Kast, leftist Jara in runoff
The election follows November’s first-round vote, in which Jara, representing the Communist Party, narrowly outpaced Kast with 27% of the vote compared to Kast’s 24%. Despite finishing second initially, Kast enters the runoff as the favorite, with final opinion polls projecting a potential lead of roughly 10 percentage points.
Kast’s advantage is strengthened by the support of right-wing voters and candidates eliminated in the crowded first round, where the combined right-leaning vote exceeded 50%.
Meanwhile, Jara faces a challenging political environment, as her popularity is weighed down by low approval ratings for the incumbent government of President Gabriel Boric, which shares her coalition.
The campaign has been heavily influenced by security concerns, an issue Kast has emphasized.
Although Chile remains one of the safest countries in Latin America, an uptick in organized crime, homicides, and high-profile incidents such as kidnappings has created public unease. Kast has vowed to address these issues with stringent measures.
His proposals include constructing detention and deportation centers for migrants, building barriers along the border, and granting expanded powers to security forces. “Those who attempt to enter violently or disobey orders will be subdued with strict protocols,” his platform states.
Jara, in contrast, has advocated for more moderate approaches, including creating an official registry for the estimated 330,000 undocumented migrants currently living in Chile.
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