SANTIAGO, Chile — Chileans are set to vote for a new president this Sunday, with Jose Antonio Kast, a hard-right candidate, tipped to win against his leftist rival Jeannette Jara. The upcoming second round of the Chilean presidential election reflects growing public concern over crime, immigration, and economic challenges.

If victorious, Kast, a veteran politician and father of nine, would become Chile’s first hard-right leader since the end of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1990.

Election Context

Jara, a communist candidate leading the center-left coalition, won the first round in November. However, she appears to be penalized by voters for the incumbent government’s perceived failure to tackle rising crime rates and a sluggish economy.

Many voters cited fears over violent crime. Claudio Benitez, a 50-year-old mining consultant, said:

“Before, the country was much safer. The type of crime is different; now your life is in danger.”

In the first round, right-wing candidates collectively secured more than 50% of the vote, signaling strong support for a conservative pivot. Polls indicate Kast may win the second round decisively.

Kast’s Policy Platform

Kast has run on a platform emphasizing security, immigration control, and law enforcement expansion. Key pledges include:

• Expelling 337,000 undocumented migrants from Chile
• Building a wall on the Bolivian border
• Providing police with increased firepower
• Deploying troops to high-crime areas

He has also voiced admiration for Pinochet’s regime and opposed contraception policies, prompting concerns among some voters about potential restrictions on personal freedoms.

Jara’s Campaign

Jara, a 51-year-old former labor minister, has campaigned on social and economic issues, including raising the minimum wage and addressing the root causes of crime. She has pledged to control clandestine migration routes and screen undocumented migrants for criminal activity.

However, her membership in the Communist Party continues to be a liability in Chile’s historically conservative society. Analyst Alejandro Olivares explained:

“There is a specter that looms over any communist candidate, and so it is with Jara; it has weighed heavily on her.”

Crime and Migration Concerns

While Chile remains safer than many Latin American nations, homicide rates have risen 140% over the last decade, reaching six murders per 100,000 people annually — still well below the Latin American average of 15. Transnational gangs from Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela have contributed to the increase in violent crime.

Many voters see Kast’s tough stance as a necessary “complete change of course”, contrasting with the current administration under President Gabriel Boric, which has made some progress but has been perceived as insufficient.

Regional and Historical Significance

If Kast wins, Chile would join other Latin American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, and Honduras, in swinging from left to right politically. Despite his hard-right alignment, biographer Amanda Marton noted Kast’s pragmatism:

“He’s a hard-right leader, but he’s a Chilean hard-right leader. He knows the institutions very well and is more reserved than firebrand leaders in the region.”

The election underscores Chile’s tradition of alternating political power, with voters often replacing the incumbent government with a party from the opposite side of the spectrum.