Chileans will head to a presidential runoff on December 14 after a surprisingly tight first round of voting on Sunday left no candidate securing a majority. The contest pits leftist former minister Jeannette Jara against far-right candidate José Antonio Kast,setting the stage for a perhaps divisive election in a country undergoing meaningful social and political shifts [[2]]. Preliminary results show Jara with 26.58% of the vote, narrowly leading Kast’s 24.32%, while a third candidate, Franco Parisi, captured a significant 18.84% [[1]].
Chile is headed for a presidential runoff on December 14 after Sunday’s election produced a surprisingly close result between a leftist and a far-right candidate. The outcome sets the stage for a potentially divisive showdown in a nation grappling with social and political change.
According to preliminary counts from the Electoral Service, former minister Jeannette Jara, representing a coalition of nine center-left parties, secured the most votes with 26.58%. Trailing closely behind was José Antonio Kast, an ultraconservative former congressman from the Republican Party, who garnered 24.32% of the vote. A surprise contender, Franco Parisi of the People’s Party, finished in third place with 18.84%.
The results were tighter than pre-election polls had predicted, which had given Jara a lead exceeding 30%.
Jara addressed supporters after the results were announced, stating that Chile is a country “with much future and hope” and emphasizing the need to protect democracy. “Let us not forget how good we are as a country, let us not allow ourselves to believe that we are not,” she said. “We are an immense, large, beautiful, supportive country with much future and hope.”
Acknowledging the “enormous challenges” ahead, Jara also extended an olive branch to candidates who did not advance to the second round.
“Those who divide us and sow hatred are doing a disservice to the future of Chile,” Jara concluded, promising to implement a “vital income” of 750,000 pesos (approximately $800 USD) and strengthen security measures.
Jara Strong Among Voters Abroad
Jara also performed well with Chilean voters living abroad, winning a majority of international voting stations. According to data from the Electoral Service (Servel) reported by local newspaper El Mercurio, Jara received 54.5% of the votes cast by Chileans living outside the country. Evelyn Matthei, representing a coalition of right-leaning parties, came in second.
Matthei conceded defeat on Sunday, finishing in fifth place overall, and subsequently announced her support for Kast.
Kast Calls for “Real Change”
Kast, the far-right candidate, stated that the time has come for “real change” and to “rebuild the homeland.” “We require unity to advance in security, housing, education and all the issues that have been greatly affected by the bad policies of this government,” he said.
Kast has already secured the backing of traditional right-wing candidates Evelyn Matthei and Johannes Kaiser, who finished fourth and fifth respectively.
“We want to call on all the people who voted for us to please support candidate Kast in the second round because it is very important that this government does not continue in power,” Matthei said from the stage at Kast’s campaign headquarters, where she went to personally congratulate him.
jc (afp, efe, Emol, La Tercera)
