Chile heads to runoff presidential elections in December

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Chile will head to a presidential runoff between Republican Party's right-wing Jose Antonio Kast and the left-wing Gabriel Boric, candidate of the "I Support Reputation" alliance, in December.

The two leading candidates will contest the presidency on Dec. 19, after obtaining 27.9% and 25.8% of the votes respectively, after 98% of votes have been counted, according to the Chilean Electoral Service (Servel).

​​​​​​​Almost 15 million Chileans are called to elect Sebastian Pinera's successor, who will take the reins of a country in turmoil after a social crisis broke out in 2019 when the Chilean people took to the streets to demand better health care, a quality education, and economic equity.

More than 7.1 million votes were cast in the elections and the turnout rate was 47%.

Boric, a 35-year-old former student leader, who described himself as an environmentalist and feminist, represents many of the social movements behind the social protests. He has promised to implement a wealth tax, quality education, better pensions and to reduce the weekly working hours.

Kast, a 55-year-old lawyer and former deputy, who in the past has shown his sympathy for the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, has anti-immigration rhetoric and has spoken out against abortion. He has said he wants the Police to have the "right and duty" to confront vandals.

"There are many who say they are afraid, that they fear for the economy if the protests continue. Relax, everything will be fine. We want to raise our voices, recover peace and order," said Kast. "We are going to take the necessary decisions to achieve it".

The revelation of the elections was the People's Party liberal candidate, Franco Parisi, who campaigned from the US, did not vote because he did not change his address, carried out his election campaign through social media, and still achieved third place with more than 13% of the vote.

The elections are taking place at a turbulent time when the South American country is initiating a process to draft a new constitution and days after the Senate shelved an impeachment trial against Pinera over his involvement in the controversial sale of a mining company through a firm owned by his children. ​​​​​​​