How do Jara and Kast’s most significant proposals compare in light of Chile’s presidential elections this Sunday?

But how do the most symbolic proposals of both candidates fare?

The 51-year-old communist candidate claimed that if she wins, her government will bet on representing the vision of the left and the center-left faction in the political coalition supporting her.

In economic terms, Jara proposed the creation of a “vital income” of about $800 per month to improve the economic situation of the most vulnerable families, which should be gradually financed through government subsidies for small and medium-sized businesses.

“In my government we want to put more money in our pockets,” said the candidate.

Jara promised to reduce electricity prices and that the state would financially support the savings of young people between 25 and 40 years old to buy a house.

Another of his proposals is to eliminate the use of the Development Unit (UF) in the areas of health and education to avoid an “excessive” increase in payments. The UF is an index that is adjusted daily for inflation and is used to express the value of homes, bank loans or the cost of health insurance.

He also proposed creating a uniform employment subsidy for women, young people and the elderly, as well as reducing waiting lists for medical care.

On the immigration issue, in contrast to the mass deportations that Kast promises, Jara proposed the creation of a biometric register and “limited regularization” for those foreigners who have no criminal record, are employed and maintain family ties, in addition to a biometric register of foreigners living in the country.

On the other hand, the official candidate promised to strengthen border control with the support of the Bundeswehr and surveillance technology.

And on security, Jara claimed that his government would attack the finances of organized crime. To this end, he proposed the abolition of bank secrecy (a regulation designed to protect the privacy of financial transactions) in order to track the flow of money related to drug trafficking.

“More prisons or more police officers won’t be enough if we don’t fight organized crime at its roots,” he said.

In parallel, the candidate promised to strengthen the country’s police force and increase gun control.

In the final presidential debate before the runoff election, Jara announced that if she were to become president, she would renounce her membership in the Communist Party.

Regarding the danger of a possible military intervention by the United States in Venezuela, Jara claimed that President Nicolás Maduro “must leave power without a doubt,” but warned that, in his opinion, Donald Trump’s proposal “violates international law.”

“I will not support the invasion of another country,” he said.

The central axis of Kast’s election campaign revolves around the issues of security and migration.

In his speech, the right-wing extremist formulated the idea of ​​an “emergency government” to counteract the increase in crime.

Kast proposed the construction of maximum security prisons, tougher punishments for lawbreakers, an end to “narco burials,” a review of the use of self-defense and the creation of a special unit to restore the country’s crime-dominated areas.

“Chile will be a safe country again,” said the candidate. On immigration, he promised massive deportations of immigrants in an irregular situation, including charter flights that would take them back to their countries of origin, the costs of which would be partly financed by the passengers themselves.

“We will close the borders wherever there are irregular crossings,” he said as part of his border protection plan, but moderated his speech in recent days by saying that deportations in his administration would not be the same as in the United States. “There are different ways to invite people to leave, but who will pay? I won’t pay,” he explained.

He also suggested that irregular migration would become a criminal offense and that undocumented foreigners would not have access to basic services provided by the state, such as education, housing or health.

In the economic sphere, Kast has proposed promoting “austerity” and cutting government spending by $6 billion over 18 months, a measure whose feasibility has been questioned due to the scale of a cut that, if implemented, would mean a reduction in social services for the population.

However, the candidate assured that it would be possible to make the cut without affecting social benefits such as the Universal Guaranteed Pension (PGU), although he did not elaborate on how he would implement the adjustment.

Regarding taxes, the former MP announced that, as part of his mandate, he would reduce corporate tax for medium and large companies to 23% from the current 27% and promised to abolish capital gains tax on the sale of shares in some cases.

In contrast to his speech in the last election, Kast has avoided talking about issues such as abortion and equal marriage, as well as human rights abuses during the Augusto Pinochet regime, whose policies he has partly defended in the past.

Kast’s government plan has drawn comparisons to figures such as Argentine President Javier Milei; that of the United States, Donald Trump; or the former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro.

At the international level, Kast said in one of the presidential debates that his position on a possible US military invasion of Venezuela was expressed in the phrase on the Chilean sign: “By reason or by force.”

And referring to El Salvador’s ruler, Nayib Bukele, an advocate of tough anti-crime policies, he said that if all Chileans had to vote today and Bukele was on the ballot, “they would vote for Bukele.”

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