Chile is choosing between Kast and Jara, two opposites with the same agenda: insecurity and immigration

chili defines its next president this Sunday, December 14th in one drain permeated by strong political polarization, but also by a central coincidence in the election campaign agenda: The uncertainty and the immigration irregular.

The conservative candidate José Antonio Kast, He reaches the second round as the big favorite against the official candidate Jeannette Jaraweakened by the attrition of the outgoing government Gabriel Boric.

Kast, favorite and with the right orientation

Kast, a 59-year-old lawyer and Republican Party leader, ended his campaign in the southern city of Temuco, promising to restore “order and security” after what he defined as a scenario of “chaos, disorder and insecurity.”

“We will create order, security and trust,” the candidate said at an event attended by around 5,000 people who shouted slogans in his favor and waved Chilean flags. Protected by bulletproof glass, the presidential candidate appeared confident before the runoff election and assured that there would be a “hope shock” in March with the start of his future government.

Although Chile remains one of the safest countries in the region, crime and violence have emerged as major concerns for citizens. According to a survey by Ipsos In October, 63% of the population said crime was the country’s biggest problem. In addition to irregular immigration, the issue dominated the election debate and largely explained the preference for cast, who is running as a presidential candidate for the third time.

Meanwhile, Kast strategically chose Temuco, capital of the La Araucanía region and electoral bastion of the Republican Party, to end his campaign. The area is where most Mapuche communities are concentrated and arson attacks allegedly attributed to radicalized groups or timber theft gangs are common. “The region is plagued by fear, terror and vandalism,” said Kast, who vowed to bring “peace” to its residents.

In his government program, the candidate proposes to combat crime by detaining and expelling almost 340,000 illegal migrants, deploying 3,000 soldiers to the border, opening trenches and building a wall on the border with Bolivia. If elected, he would be the most right-wing president since the end of the dictatorship Augusto Pinochet in 1990.

Echoes and lessons from a crisis that brought Chile to the brink of the abyss

Jara reinforces the “hard hand” discourse.

On the other hand, Jeannette Jara, As a 51-year-old lawyer and administrator, her militancy on the left of the political spectrum forced her to recalibrate her speech and put security at the center of her campaign, over her historic social rights agenda.

At her last major event in Santiago, the former member of Boric’s cabinet promised strengthen the police to combat organized crime, a phenomenon that many Chileans associate with irregular immigration. “Everyone in Chile deserves to live in peace. Police presence is required in all parts of the city and that is why we will increase it,” he said.

Although the number of homicides has stabilized in recent years, official figures show a significant increase over the last decade: the rate rose from 2.5 to 6 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2024. In response, Jara announced that he would intervene in 100 neighborhoods to dismantle drug sales outlets and remove weapons from illegal circulation.

José Antonio Kast, the ultra-conservative “Milei style” that is polarizing the presidential election in Chile

Two opposing models, the same priority

The official candidate gained notoriety as labor minister in the Boric government and leads a coalition of nine center-left parties. His key promises include raising the minimum wage to nearly $800 and defending the pension system. During the campaign, he accused Kast of hiding “secret proposals” that would mean setbacks on social rights and warned of about $6 billion in cuts included in his economic plan.

Although they represented opposing ideological projects, both candidates agreed on a similar diagnosis: insecurity and migration are the most pressing problems facing Chilean society. The difference lies in the answers. While Kast opts for a tough strategy and mass expulsions, Jara tries to combine police reinforcements with social policy, in a context unfavorable for the ruling party.

With mandatory voting and a fragmented Congress, Sunday’s runoff will not only determine the next president of the Trans-Andean country, but also his political course in a scenario marked by fear of crime, the intensification of the immigration debate and division over constitutional reform.