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Chile Heads to Polls With Right Poised to Dominate Presidential Race

Polling suggests Jeannette Jara will make a runoff, with a united right favored in the second round.

Overview

  • Voters choose among eight contenders on Sunday, with no candidate expected to clear an outright majority and a December 14 runoff likely.
  • Three right‑wing figures — José Antonio Kast, Evelyn Matthei and Johannes Kaiser — lead the opposition field on security‑first platforms.
  • Campaign discourse centers on migration and crime, as surveys show nearly two‑thirds cite public safety as their top concern despite a homicide rate near six per 100,000.
  • Hardline proposals have sharpened the tone, including Matthei’s debate line promising only prison or cemetery for criminals and calls for tougher border controls.
  • Kast’s international links to figures such as Argentina’s Javier Milei, Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, Spain’s Vox and Germany’s AfD underscore transnational far‑right coordination.