Chile’s Presidential Election Heads to December Runoff Between Communist and Far-Right Candidates

Chile's Presidential Election Heads to December Runoff Between Communist and Far-Right Candidates

Chile's presidential election will proceed to a **December 14 runoff** after neither candidate secured an outright majority in Sunday's first round, setting the stage for a polarizing contest between **Communist Party nominee Jeannette Jara** and far-right challenger **José Antonio Kast**.

First-Round Results and Vote Dynamics

Jara, representing the governing left-wing coalition, **narrowly led** the initial vote, but Kast-who lost the 2021 runoff to current President Gabriel Boric-is poised to benefit from a **split right-wing vote**. Analysts suggest Kast could absorb support from eliminated candidates, including **centre-right Senator Evelyn Matthei** and libertarian Congressman **Johannes Kaiser**, potentially consolidating conservative backing.

A Kast victory would align Chile with a broader **rightward shift** across Latin America, reversing the progressive policies of Boric's administration.

Candidates' Platforms: Crime, Immigration, and Ideology

Both candidates have **centered their campaigns on crime and immigration**, issues amplified by rising gang violence and a **46% surge in foreign residents** since 2018-now totaling **1.9 million**, per Chile's National Migration Service. An estimated **330,000 undocumented migrants**, many from Venezuela, reside in the country.

Kast, a **conservative lawyer and former congressman**, advocates for **Trump-style border walls**, mass deportations, and opposition to abortion-even in cases of rape. His **anti-immigration stance** includes blaming crime on migrants, despite studies showing lower crime rates among foreign-born residents. He has also proposed **El Salvador-style maximum-security prisons** and criticized environmental and Indigenous activism.

Jara, though a **Communist Party member**, is viewed by many as **pragmatically centre-left**. Her platform includes **expanding lithium production**, raising the minimum wage, and deploying the military to border regions. She has warned that democracy is "**at risk**," urging voters to reject what she frames as extremist policies.

"Democracy in our country must be taken care of and valued. And it costs us a lot to recover it-today it is at risk."

Jeannette Jara, election night remarks

Controversies and Historical Context

Kast's **family ties to Chile's authoritarian past**-his brother served under **Augusto Pinochet**, and his father was a **Nazi Party member**-have drawn scrutiny. On election night, Kast declared Chile must avoid "**continuity of a very bad government-perhaps the worst in democratic history.**"

Both candidates support **harsher penalties for crime**, including new prisons and border militarization. Kast's proposals mirror policies in **El Salvador**, while Jara has vowed to **expel foreigners convicted of drug trafficking**.

Electoral Reforms and Voter Turnout

This election marked Chile's first under **automatic voter registration and compulsory voting**, reforms aimed at boosting participation. The runoff will force voters to rally behind one of two starkly opposed visions for the country's future.

Key Figures

• 1.9 million: Foreign residents in Chile (2023 data).
• 330,000+: Estimated undocumented migrants.
• 46%: Increase in foreign population since 2018.