The Republican focused his speeches on security, the economy and migration, avoiding addressing issues that are sensitive to the right on his way to the first round of elections.
The candidate of the Republican Party of Chile, José Antonio Kast, enters his third election with a campaign marked by his rise in the polls and by a message focused on security, economy and migration, articulated under the idea of an “Emergency Government”. The far right has avoided entering into sensitive issues for the right – such as abortion and gender equality – and has sought to differentiate itself from Evelyn Matthei, the standard-bearer of Chile Vamos, who began the electoral race as leader.
This Sunday, November 16, Chileans will go to the polls to elect President Gabriel Boric’s successor. Eight candidates for La Moneda are on the ballot, but polls show Jeannette Jara as the ruling party’s favorite and show that the dispute to accompany her into a possible second round is concentrated among the right-wing candidates: Kast, Matthei and Johannes Kaiser. Since an absolute majority is needed on the first day, i.e. more than half of the votes to define a winner, everything indicates that the result will be decided on December 14th.
The former right-wing deputy focused his speech on the issues of security and immigration as part of the concept of emergency government.
The Republican gave a speech focused on criticizing the government and the left-wing candidate. “Jara is Boric and Boric is Jara,” he said in front of more than 10,000 people.
A line from “I’m Evelyn Looking Ahead” alludes to Kast: “The other solution should be my friend José Antonio.” The candidate responded by referring to his opponent’s song as a “mistake.”
Kast announced a strategy under which undocumented immigrants living in Chile will be invited to leave and will help pay for their travel to their home country.
The Cardinal of the Catholic Church, Fernando Chomali, called for finding ways to adequately regulate migration.
The Chilean president assured that the country will not have to choose between fiscal irresponsibility or social indolence in the face of Kast’s proposal to cut 6 billion dollars in fiscal spending.
In response to Matthei’s accusation of never having governed, Kast said that his party feels “very prepared” to lead the Executive and Parliament.
Statements by Cristián Valenzuela, communications director and Kast’s right-hand man, to the newspaper La Tercera have increased tension within the movement.
Unlike the 2021 presidential election, the Republican avoids issues of individual liberties and has placed women in senior positions on his team.
Chile’s radical right candidate traveled to Rome for a meeting with the Italian Prime Minister to talk about how to tackle irregular immigration.
The narrow lead between Kast and Jara in the polls led them to be protagonists of the first debate, in which they contrasted their positions on how to bring the country out of economic stagnation, address the security crisis and immigration.
A lawyer and mother of nine, Adriasola took on a much more public role in her husband’s third attempt to reach La Moneda.
Kast’s approval is on the rise. Six months after the election, he moved from third place to tied in the polls with favorite Evelyn Matthei.
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She is an SEO editor and journalist for EL PAÍS América. Previously he worked at Grupo Reforma and Televisa. She is originally from Monterrey, Nuevo León, and has lived in Mexico City since 2019.
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