These days of political campaigning in Chile, in preparation for the second presidential round on December 14, have shown that the right and center-right dominate the stage, with José Antonio Caste the favorite to win.
According to a poll conducted by Atlas Intel, Kast will reach 56.9% of voting intentions in the second round, compared to 35% for Janet Jara, representative of the ruling party and leader of the Chilean Communist Party.
The same report reveals that President Gabriel Buric received a negative approval rating of 63.9%. For Jara, association with that eroding administration is a disadvantage; But for Kast, this scenario makes it more competitive.
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The November election gave the ruling party’s candidate a narrow victory, by only 2.9 percentage points in CAST.
But the right, which competed with three different candidates, together exceeded 50% of the total votes. This scenario, in addition to the erosion of the government, favors the far-right candidate.
As of March 11, Chile’s next president must govern through a Congress where the right will be the majority force in the Chamber of Deputies, while the Senate will remain evenly divided between the ruling party and the opposition.
bell. Janet Jara, a 51-year-old lawyer, began her campaign among women in the popular neighborhood of La Pintana, south of Santiago. There he attacked his rival: “I find that Kast is a domineering person who denigrates those who think differently.”
The first round was characterized by the theme of insecurity, an issue that was placed firmly on the public agenda and which the majority of Chileans associated with irregular migration. This climate forced the candidate to set aside social issues – which are characteristic of the centre-left – to focus on anti-crime proposals.
Jara promised to strengthen police forces, reclaim neighborhoods dominated by organized crime and go after “dirty money” linked to the drug trade, including lifting banking secrecy.
He said in a clear provocation to his competitor, “I wonder why Kast opposes lifting banking secrecy? He who does nothing fears nothing.”
For his part, Cast (59 years old) chose the city of Temuco, south of Santiago, as the starting point for his march towards the runoff. It is the capital of the Araucanía region, a region that has been militarized since 2022 due to conflict with the Mapuche people. There the far-right met with victims of arson attacks on agricultural property.
He said in statements to the press: “We do not want to deceive anyone. We want to restore Chile, but that will require many sacrifices.”
The candidate proposes to deport more than 300,000 illegal immigrants and establish a “border shield” with fences, trenches, and large-scale police and army reinforcements to confront “terrorism” in the southern region.
Insecurity. Although Chile remains one of the safest countries in the region, the feeling of insecurity is growing due to an increase in murders and kidnappings compared to the recent past.
Data reveal that homicides have increased in the past decade by 140%, rising from 2.5 to 6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024. However, the country is still below the Latin American average, which amounts to 15 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the United Nations.
The jump in numbers, while still far from regional levels, has opened the way for sharper discourses, such as CAST’s, which promise quick responses to a phenomenon seen as imminent.