In the Chile The first round of presidential elections will take place on Sunday. This election will likely be a directional decision between the ultra-right and left groups. A total of eight candidates are running to replace leftist President Gabriel Boric. His favorites were ultra-right Pinochet fan José Antonio Kast, whose father was a Wehrmacht soldier under the Nazis, and Social Democrat Jeannette Jara. Although he was still a member of the Communist Party, he was considered a moderate leftist.
It is estimated that no candidate will reach the required majority in the first round. Kast believes his chances are good for a runoff election on December 14: voters of the other two candidates on the right – the right-wing radical Johannes Kaiser and the conservative Evelyn Matthei, both of whom also have German ancestry – could, according to his calculations, support Kast in the runoff. Kast, who is of German descent, won the first round of the presidential election four years ago, but then lost the second round to Boric.
Crime increases
In addition to Chile’s presidential nominee, nearly half of the senators and all 155 representatives are also up for re-election. The focus of the election campaign in this South American country is the economy, crime and migration. Although Chile remains one of the safest countries in the region, crime has recently increased in some regions.
Incumbent President Boric is not allowed to run again after his four-year term for constitutional reasons. Some 15.8 million Chileans were called to vote; Voting is mandatory in Chile. The future president will take office on March 11, 2026.
