Rightward Shift Possible Since 1990
Public Safety and Immigration Issues Shape the Race
Kast vs. Jara Face Off
"The outcome of this vote is expected to mark the most dramatic rightward shift in Chile since the end of military dictatorship in 1990."
On the 14th (local time), immigrant voters are preparing to vote ahead of the presidential runoff election in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
Reuters reported on December 14 (local time) that Chile, with a population of around 20 million, held a runoff election to select a president for a four-year term. Voters cast their ballots at polling stations from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This year’s Chilean presidential election was the first since the end of military dictatorship to implement compulsory voting with automatic voter registration. As a result, the number of eligible voters increased by about 5 million compared to previous elections.
Kast vs. Jara... The Blue Tide at a Crossroads
In this runoff, Jose Antonio Kast, the far-right candidate who founded the Republican Party, faced off against Communist Party member Jeannette Jara, the candidate representing the ruling left-wing coalition government.
According to Reuters, in the first round held in November, Jara secured first place with 26.85% of the vote, while Kast came in second with 23.92%, surpassing other right-wing candidates.
Jeannette Jara, the first Communist Party member to run as a candidate with the support of the center-left ruling party, previously served as Minister of Labor and Social Security (2022-2025) in the administration of President Gabriel Boric. Her main campaign pledges included raising the minimum wage, strengthening workers’ rights, and expanding the role of the state-owned lithium company.
Jose Antonio Kast, who is making another bid for the presidency after losing in two previous elections (2017 and 2021), has argued for a positive reassessment of the military regime led by Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006). Kast’s core campaign promises included the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, the construction of large-scale prisons, and the privatization of the lithium industry.
Rise of the Right Amid Crime and Immigration Fears... Kast Seen as Frontrunner
Local media outlets such as El Mercurio, La Tercera, and Biobio Chile are predicting a likely victory for Kast, who is often described as a far-right figure. This is largely because a significant number of voters who supported right-wing candidates eliminated in the first round are expected to back Kast in the runoff.
Although Chile is still considered one of the safest countries in Latin America, concerns about public safety have grown amid a recent surge in organized crime and increased immigration, making security the most pressing issue for voters. The homicide rate more than doubled from 2.32 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 6.0 in 2024. In 2024, there were a record 868 kidnapping cases, with the Chilean Prosecutor’s Office estimating that about 40% of these were linked to organized crime.
This spike in crime has coincided with a sharp increase in Venezuelan immigration. Statistics show that the number of Venezuelan immigrants in Chile rose from 82,998 in 2017 to 669,408 in 2024. Backlash against immigration has intensified in tandem with the ongoing debate over crime.
Reuters analyzed that for President Boric, who came to power pledging to address inequality and enact a new constitution, crime and public safety issues have remained a persistent challenge throughout his term.
If Kast is elected, the “Blue Tide”-the recent trend of right-wing governments taking power across Latin America-will become even more pronounced. The Blue Tide refers to the weakening of leftist political currents and the rise of right-leaning and center-right governments in the region.
Indeed, this political trend is spreading as center-right and conservative governments have recently come to power in countries such as Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
